Friday May 31, 2013
Many of you may have seen The Wall Street Journal's front page article today regarding a dispute at the FDA on whether or not ARB's (angiotensin receptor blocking drugs) cause lung cancer. I wanted to take this opportunity to summarize our current knowledge.
An investigator at the FDA contends there is a 30% greater likelihood of lung cancer in persons taking ARBs for blood pressure. Some popular ARBs are: losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), candesartan (Atacand), etc.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS PUBLISHED IN SCIENTIFIC PEER - REVIEWED JOURNALS TO SUBSTATIATE THESE CLAIMS. And, the WSJ did not present the data in scientific form, so that I can validate, or not, these claims. The FDA doc making these claims states it'll take a 60 day - 90 day review of all the raw case data to know for sure.
Obviously, this is a critical issue. Lung cancer remains a fatal illness and if these Rx's are making it 30% more likely, we're going to have to change everyone's Rx's, as I have been one of the biggest proponents of ARBs, as they have an OUTSTANDING benefit on blood vessels, in the heart, brain and kidney.
There were also media reports today about certain diabetic drugs being associated with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. I AM familiar with this data. It is my opinion, as 3 different independent reviews have stated, there is NO increase in pancreatic cancer with this medications, but the question of an increased risk of pancreatitis, espeically with Avandia, may truly exist.
I am certainly NOT going to recommend any of our patients stop taking Januvia, the only one of these incretin - increasing drugs I use on persons. I do NOT believe, at all, Januvia increases the risk of anything!!
So, to review...ARBs MAY cause an unacceptable increase in the risk of lung cancer and an impartial FDA review, which must include 'outsides,; is required. Hopefully, today's publicity will have some politician demand this from the FDA.
Secondly, there is NOT at all convincing evidence type II diabetes mellitus medicatiosn (with Avandia's possible exception) cause either pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.
When I know more, so will you. Stay tuned!!