13°c Light rain showers
18°c Cloudy with sunny breaks
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Diabetes drug linked to boost in cancer risk
TORONTO -- A new study adds further weight to the argument that people who use the diabetes drug Actos are at higher risk of developing bladder cancer.
A group of Montreal researchers reports people with Type 2 diabetes who take the drug are more than 80 per cent more likely to develop bladder cancer than people who don't. And for those who take it over a prolonged period, the risk is higher still.
People who use the drug for more than two years have double the risk of developing bladder cancer than people who don't take the medication. And the drug -- its generic name is pioglitazone -- is meant to be taken over the long term.
Earlier this year, Health Canada warned there were emerging signals that pioglitazone use might be linked to elevated rates of bladder cancer. The regulator had done a safety assessment on the drug, looking at early data from an ongoing study being conducted by the drug's manufacturer, Takeda Canada Inc.
Based on data collected to the mid-way point of the 10-year study, Health Canada asked Takeda to update the drug's labels to reflect the potential risk.
Dr. David Juurlink, head of the division of clinical pharmacology at the University of Toronto, said the Montreal group's findings suggest the linkage is real.
"I think this is probably the single best study of this issue, and I think (it) leaves little doubt that pioglitazone is a potential risk factor for bladder cancer," said Juurlink, who was not involved in the study.
The work was done by researchers from McGill University and Montreal's Jewish General Hospital. It was published Thursday in the journal BMJ.
The scientists looked at medical records for a group of 115,727 people from Britain who started to take medication for Type 2 diabetes. Among those, 376 people developed bladder cancer and the researchers compared them to nearly 6,700 people who didn't develop the disease. The risk is relative. In other words, the risk pioglitazone users experience relative to people who didn't take the drug.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 2, 2012 A17
More Canada
- Back to Top
- Return to Canada
More Canada
(1 of 17 articles for today)
Manitoba government says Elijah Harper's body will lie in state at legislature
6:50 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Canada
- Quake shakes Ontario, Quebec
- Sen. Pamela Wallin, target of expense audit, latest to leave Conservative caucus
- Crack-cocaine video allegations 'ridiculous,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says
- Father and two children fighting for lives after Montreal area house fire
- Calgary man charged with murder of woman and her five-year-old son
- Tirades won't stop global warming: Harper
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford nixes weekend radio show in wake of video controversy
- Crack-smoking claim dogs mayor
- Senate committee to take sober second look at Duffy's expense reports
- Another senator leaves Tory caucus
- First-degree murder charge to be laid in test drive death; remains badly burned
- Crack-cocaine video allegations 'ridiculous,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- Duffy quits Conservative caucus over expenses as colleagues began turning on him
- Liberals blaze to stunning B.C. victory, but Clark loses own seat
- Quake near Ottawa rattles residents across wide swath of Ontario, Quebec
- Sen. Pamela Wallin, target of expense audit, latest to leave Conservative caucus
- Arrest made in case of Hamilton, Ont., man missing after pickup truck test drive
- Conservative senator Duffy claimed expenses while campaigning in 2011 election
- Duffy's public salary, benefits don't paint picture of man down on his luck
- First-degree murder charge to be laid in test drive death; remains badly burned
- Multiple fatalities after serious crash near U.S. border
- Canadian tourist dies after falling from hotel in Mexican resort
- Engineer charged in mall collapse
- Arrest made in case of Hamilton, Ont., man missing after pickup truck test drive
- Crack-cocaine video allegations 'ridiculous,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Suspects arrested in Via train terror plot linked to al-Qaida in Iran: RCMP
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- Secret CSIS source, allied intelligence cited in high-profile terror case
- Promising new way of fighting cancer
- Sen. Pamela Wallin, target of expense audit, latest to leave Conservative caucus
- Quake shakes Ontario, Quebec
- U.S. bill would give Canadian snowbirds more time to spend in the sun
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- First-degree murder charge to be laid in test drive death; remains badly burned
- Search on for living creatures far beneath Canadian Shield
- Quake near Ottawa rattles residents across wide swath of Ontario, Quebec
- Effort afoot in court to sue Canadians for illegal downloads
- 'Not looking for blame,' grieving father says of fatal rugby tackle
- Federal Court to test expedited hearings for some visa-rejection reviews
- Conservative senator Duffy claimed expenses while campaigning in 2011 election
- Grade 5 kids urge Harper to drop mean attack ads against Justin Trudeau
- U.S. bill would give Canadian snowbirds more time to spend in the sun
- Foul fascination: Edmonton plant beautiful, but stinks like diapers, dead animals
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Suspects arrested in Via train terror plot linked to al-Qaida in Iran: RCMP
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Commanding officer of Canadian Forces base in Alberta charged with sex assault
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- An in-depth look at not criminally responsible through the eyes of a patient
- Engineer charged in mall collapse
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.