People who take common osteoporosis drugs called biphosphonates for over five years may be increasing their risk to develop esophageal cancer, according to a British study on Friday.
Researchers who took part of the study said that the outcomes were alarming, but should not let doctors to change their practice on biphosphonates abruptly. Biphosphonates were prescribed for used by older people to help strengthen their weak and feeble bones.
Jane Green of Oxford University’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit said that they have to worried with the situation; however, she said that it was the first comprehensive study with continuing follow up that has found the outcome, and it is only an observational analysis. Moreover, the research was available in the British Medical Journal.
In addition, Green said in a telephone interview that because esophageal cancer is not common, an increase in risk is still a low risk.
Biphosphonates are a type of drug made to help bone fractures and equalize weakness of the bones linked with osteoporosis and menopause. They include Warner Chilcott’s Actonel, Novartis’s Reclast, Roche’s Boniva and Merck & Co’s Fosamax.
Also, Green and her associates from Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of Britain examined data from the UK General Practice Research file on men and women whose age are beyond 40 and had either colorectal cancer, stomach cancer or esophageal cancer detected between 1995 and 2005.
They have discovered that people having 10 or more prescriptions for biphosphonates, or having prescriptions more than five years, had almost doubled the risk of esophageal cancer, in comparison with people who did not have prescriptions on biphosphonates.
Furthermore, they stated on their study that in North America and Europe, the cases of esophageal cancer at age 60-79 is usually 1 per 1,000 populations more than five years, and this is expected to rise to approximately 2 per 1,000 with five years’ use of oral bisphosphonate.



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