04 Dec Antacid Medications May Improve Head/Neck Cancer Survival
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Silvana Papagerakis M.S., M.D., Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Laboratory, Ann Arbor MI
MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Papagerakis: We had suspicions that these medications somehow had a favorable impact on patient outcomes. This led us to review our large cohort of patients and screen them for common medications, focusing on antacids. In fact, our study did show that people taking antacids are doing better. What this study makes clear is that these medications may be more beneficial to the patients than just controlling side effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer.
MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Papagerakis: Although we saw differences in the degree to which overall survival was improved by proton-pump inhibitors and histamine receptor-2 antagonists, patients should not change their medications without consulting a physician.
MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Papagerakis: Future research should focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms that could explain this survival benefit. We will also like to understand if using antacids in people with reflux disease or people with precancerous lesions might reduce their risk of developing head and neck cancer.
Citation:
- Papagerakis, E. Bellile, L. A. Peterson, M. Pliakas, K. Balaskas, S. Selman, D. Hanauer, J. M. G. Taylor, S. Duffy, G. Wolf. Proton Pump Inhibitors and Histamine 2 Blockers Are Associated with Improved Overall Survival in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma. Cancer Prevention Research, 2014; 7 (12): 1258 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-14-0002
Last Updated on December 5, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD