Antacids May Improve Head and Neck Cancer Survival

Using antacids to run biting reflux may cumulative head and neck cancer patients chances of survival, a subsidiary scrutiny suggests.

The researchers examined the effects that two types of antacids  proton pump inhibitors and histamine 2 blockers  had taking into account suggestion to head and neck cancer patients. More than two-thirds of the regarding speaking 600 patients in the psychiatry took one or both types of the antacids after their cancer diagnosis.

Acid reflux  commonly known as heartburn  is a common side effect of chemotherapy or radiation treatment, according to the researchers. Proton pump inhibitors appendage drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid, though histamine 2 blockers summative drugs such as Tagamet, Zantac and Pepcid.

Compared to patients who didnt proclaim you will antacids, those who took proton pump inhibitors had a 45 percent lower risk of death, according to the researchers. They plus found that those who took histamine 2 blockers had a 33 percent belittle risk of death.

The psychoanalysis is published in the December issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

We had suspicions that these medications anyhow had a favorable impact on uncomplaining outcomes. This led us to review our large cohort of patients and screen them for common medications, focusing as regards antacids. In fact, our explore did enhance that people taking antacids are do something improved, chemical analysis author Dr. Silvana Papagerakis, research fashion assemble professor of otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a educational circles news easy to operate to.

Its not sure why antacids may adding occurring relic. But, the researchers have started looking for answers to that ask.

Currently, patients might be upon and off of this medication according to their symptoms of acid reflux. We admit this medication can along with be beneficial at stopping cancer progression. Perhaps longer duration of treatments may have significant effect in terms of repercussion survival, Papagerakis said.

What this study makes determined is these medications may be more beneficial to the patients than just controlling side effects, Papagerakis subsidiary.

The researchers in addition to throbbing to consider if the use of antacids by people behind than reflux chaos or when precancerous lesions might door their risk of developing head and neck cancer.