Heartburn pills may affect cancer patients

WIDELY-USED heartburn drugs may have an adverse effect on cancer patients.

Danish researchers studied data from more than 300,000 cancer patients and found that those who regularly took proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) had a 29 per cent increased risk of dying early, compared to those not taking the medication, reports the International Journal of Cancer.

PPIs work by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach and are prescribed to cancer patients given chemotherapy and steroids that trigger gastric damage.

It’s thought that the drugs might affect the immune system, undermining the defences against cancer.