Can Common Medicines Prevent Cancer?

by Stephen Schleicher, MD

Well, some just might do so as reported in a recent issue of MDLinx. Here they are:

1) metformin. This medication is used as treatment for type 2 (adult onset) diabetes. Long term use is associated with a decreased incidence of liver, esophageal, pancreatic and gastric cancer.

2) aspirin and similar pain medications. Asprin and compounds like ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxyn (Aleve) and (Celebrex) may help prevent colon cancer especially if combined with diet, lifestyle, and environmental changes.

3) statins. Statins such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin may help prevent pancreatic cancer.

4) antibiotics. Certain antibiotics are often used as therapy for stomach ulcerations which have been associated with gastric cancer.

Now a disclaimer: virtually all medications have some degree of risk. For example, aspirin has been routinely recommended to help prevent heart attacks. Recently the tide has shifted and many doctors have stopped recommending once daily aspirin because the risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding seems to outweigh the benefit of heart attack prevention. Hopefully the medicines cited above do indeed prevent cancer with acceptable risk. More data is needed, so stay tuned.