REFLUX PILLS DOUBLE RISK OF STOMACH CANCER

INDIGESTION pills taken by millions significantly raise the risk of stomach cancer, a study has found.

Scientists say people who regularly use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — common drugs used to treat acid reflux — are twice as likely to develop the cancer.

And if people took the drugs long-term, the risk soared, rising five-fold after a year to more than eight-fold after three years of regular use.

The scientists, from University College London and the University of Hong Kong, suspect the pills stimulate a hormone called gastrin, which triggers the growth of cancerous cells.

Bottles and packets of PPIs — which include omeprazole and lansoprazole — are prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux, a severe form of heartburn. Many people buy them over the counter at pharmacies without a prescription, or in corner shops and supermarkets.

The drugs are not recommended for longterm use, but doctors fear that because they are so readily available, people may take them without medical supervision for years.

Fears are growing about the health impacts of the drugs if taken for too long, with recent research linking sustained use to dementia, heart attacks and kidney problems. The new research, published in the BMJ journal Gut, involved 63,000 people in Hong Kong. At the beginning of the study, they were treated with antibiotics to kill bacteria called H. pylori, which is linked to stomach cancer.

The researchers did this to rule out the role of bacteria in the development of cancer, increasing their confidence that the PPI drugs were to blame. The patients were then tracked for an average of seven years.

Researchers found those who took the pills at least weekly were more than twice as likely to develop stomach cancer during the study period compared to those who did not use the drugs. For daily users, the risk increased 4.5 times, and the longer people used the drugs, the greater their risk, rising to an 8.3-fold greater risk for those who took the pills daily for at least three years. People who took an alternative indigestion treatment called H2 blockers saw no increased risk. The researchers stressed that while the relative risks are dramatic, few people get stomach cancer — also known as gastric cancer — so in absolute terms the threat is small.Out of the 63,397 people studied, only 153 (0.24% per cent) developed stomach cancer.

The researchers calculated this means that for every 10,000 people who take PPIs, roughly eight people a year will develop stomach cancer — four more than if none was taking the pills.

They wrote: ‘We found that long-term use of PPIs increased the risk of gastric cancer development. There was a clear dose-response and time-response trend of PPIs uses and gastric cancer risk. Physicians should exercise caution when prescribing long-term PPIs.’

A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said: ‘PPIs available without prescription are only for short-term use and at low dose. Patient safety is of utmost importance.’