Doctor warns about five common drugs that can cause cancer – are you taking any of them?
A doctor has warned people about common prescription and over-the-counter medications that can increase the risk of cancer.
The disease, the second leading cause of death in the U.S., kills about 600,000 Americans each year, but about 40 percent of cases of the disease can be prevented through lifestyle changes.
There are a number of factors, such as smoking and drinking, being active and maintaining a healthy weight, that can increase your risk of cancer, but so can certain medications.
Dr. Yalda Safai, a psychiatrist based in New York, revealed to DailyMail.com the five drugs she said people should be aware of could cause cancer.
She reiterated that no one should stop taking prescription medications before speaking to their doctor, and emphasized that any risks and benefits should be discussed with your doctor.
“With any drug, you have to weigh the risks versus the benefits,” she said. ‘These are different for different people, depending on underlying conditions and family history.’
The first drug on her list was birth control pills, some of which contain man-made forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
They are prescribed to more than one in ten women every year and stop the ovaries from releasing an egg, thus preventing pregnancy.
Dr. Yalda Safai, a US-based psychiatrist, revealed the drugs she said could increase a person’s risk of cancer
But the artificial increase in hormone levels they cause can also lead to harmful mutations in cells, Dr. Safai said, increasing the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer.
“The pills increase the risk of breast cancer,” she told DailyMail.com, “but they also lower the risk of other cancers, such as ovarian cancer.”
A Study from 2013 warned that regular use of contraception was linked to an eight percent higher risk of breast cancer, while a Study from 2017 involving 1.8 million women, said those who took the drugs had a 20 percent higher risk of cancer than those who never took them.
Dr. Safai said that despite these large numbers, it was important to note that it was an unusual effect of taking the pill.
She said those considering using birth control should also be aware of their family history of cancer, and talk to their doctor before using it if anyone in the family has previously had breast cancer.
The drug may also reduce the risk of ovarian cancer because it reduces the number of times a woman ovulates or releases an egg and therefore reduces exposure to hormones that can cause DNA mutations.
The second drug on her list was available without a prescription own brand cold medicines sold by CVS, Walmart, Target and Walgreens.
Earlier this year it was revealed that generic versions of the cold medicine Mucinex contained the cancer chemical Benzene.
Some generic versions use a more cost-effective powder to achieve the extended-release benefits of the drug, which contains benzene, unlike the brand name cold medicine.
The medications included both over-the-counter and prescription medications and were commonly used
The FDA has said the ingredient will be phased out from use in pharmaceutical products by 2025, but that deadline was extended to 2026 after industry complaints.
Dr. Safai told DailyMail.com that benzene is a group 1 carcinogen and has previously been linked to blood cancers such as leukemia.
The substance has also been found in some hand sanitizers and shampoos, as well as dry shampoos, causing alarm in October 2022.
The EPA, CDC and American Cancer Society all say online that exposure to benzene increases a person’s risk of developing cancer.
Then Dr. Safai pointed to the over-the-counter medications drug ranitidine, brand name Zantac a heartburn medicine that may increase a person’s risk of cancer.
It was widely available until 2020, when research revealed that the drug contained high levels of a contaminant called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
NDMA is a chemical that previous research has shown increases the risk of developing cancer in the liver, stomach, bladder and prostate when exposed to high doses.
One study found that while NDMA levels were within acceptable limits when the drug left the factory, they quickly rose within weeks of the drug hitting shelves.
Zantac was recalled in 2020 and is no longer for sale in the US, but Dr. Safai included them in its list because Zantac may still be lurking in some people’s medicine cabinets.
“I still have stuff in my medicine cabinet from five years ago,” she said, “so yeah, it could 100 percent still be in people’s cabinets.”
Also on the list was Zantac, pictured above, which was recalled in 2020 due to its cancer risk. But Dr. Safai said it could still be lurking in people’s medicine cabinets
She said instead of Zantac, people could use Pepsin, which is also available without a prescription and does not contain NDMA.
The fourth substance on Dr. Safai was supplements in general.
Dr. Safai said: ‘These are actually the most concerning because there is no testing and no regulation, so we don’t know what’s in them and what the long-term effects might be.
‘For example, there have been major studies in the past on supplements like melatonin, which is available without a prescription and says it can help someone fall asleep.
‘These studies found that what was actually in these supplements was very different from what was stated on the marketing materials. Because they are not regulated, they can effectively do what they want.”
She added: ‘I always tell my patients not to take supplements unless absolutely necessary because you just don’t know what’s in them.’
When asked which supplements she would be most concerned about, she said the list was broad and comprehensive and pointed to previous cases of contaminants discovered.
These include supplement maker BlackOxygen, which was banned from the market in 2021 after tests showed its fulvic acid supplements were actually laced with high levels of lead and arsenic, two metals linked to cancer. It was also sued by four people in Georgia.
In 2022, non-profit Clean Label Project screened 134 protein powders for 130 types of toxins and found that many contained heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury.
Estimates indicate that approximately 59 million Americans regularly use some vitamin or supplement, spending an average of $510 on it annually.
Among the supplements to be recalled were Black Oxygen tablets, which were found to contain heavy metals such as lead and arsenic
The last medicine that Dr. Safai added to her list hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Prescribed to millions of women every year, it is used to help reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness, by increasing levels of estrogen and progesterone.
But like birth control pills, it can also increase a woman’s risk of certain cancers.
Dr. Ashwin Sharma, the medical communications manager at ZipHealth and MedExpress, added to DailyMail.com: ‘HRT, often prescribed for menopausal symptoms, has been linked to a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.
‘However, it is also linked to a reduced risk of other cancers, such as oesophageal cancer. This underlines the importance of weighing both risks and benefits when evaluating treatment.”
He added: ‘Understanding how risks are presented is also critical. For example, a “20 percent increase in relative risk” may sound alarming, but the actual change in absolute numbers is often minimal.
‘To illustrate, an increase from 1 case per 10,000 to 1.2 cases per 10,000 represents a statistically small increase that may not have a significant impact on most individuals.’
The doctors said people should consult their doctor before stopping taking medications recommended or prescribed to them.