NEW YORK- new research shows chronic users of acetaminophen, a pain reliever best selling called Tylenol for the United States and paracetamol in Europe, a risk slightly increased for cancers of the blood.
But the risk remains low, and it is still uncertain what role the parts of the drug.
The finding adds another key to the complicated evidence linking cancer and pain, and acetaminophen hints may be different from the rest.
Previous work has shown that the consumption of aspirin could reduce the likelihood of dying from cancer of the colon but increase the risk of bleeding ulcers. The image has been less clear for blood, or hematological, cancers, however.
"Prior to this study, there was very little evidence that aspirin reduces your risk of hematologic cancers," said Emily White of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, who worked on the new research.
On the other hand, there were some suggestions that acetaminophen may increase the risk of cancers, but those which were based on individual cases of cancer of the blood.
Studies of individual patients are not considered as as strong as the new, which followed a significant population of people in good health over time.
"We have the first prospective study," White told Reuters Health.
Yet, she warned, there is no evidence that acetaminophen causes cancer, and new results must be confirmed prior to use in any decision about the treatment.
Previous work linked acetaminophen to asthma and eczema as well, but scientists still disagree on the question of whether the drug is the real culprit or just a mere spectator.
The new study suffers same limitations, in that people who use many analgesics may be dealing with medical problems, which places cancer on the road.
Scientists tracked nearly 65 000 older men and women in the State of Washington. Initially, they asked participants on their use of pain relievers during the last ten years and ensured that nobody had cancer (except skin cancer).
Approximately six years on average, 577 people, or less than one percent, have developed a cancer involving blood cells. Lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome MDS of the examples of these cancers.
More than nine percent of people who have developed one of these cancers used lots of acetaminophen, compared to only five per cent of those who did not get sick.
After accounting for such things as age, family history of certain cancers of the blood, chronic users and arthritis acetaminophen had almost twice the risk of developing the disease.
"A person who is age 50 or plu has a risk of one hundred ten years to get one of these cancers, said White." "" "Our study suggests that if you use acetaminophen at least four times a week for at least four years, which would increase the risk of about 2 %".
No other pain relievers, including aspirin and ibuprofen, were related to the risk of cancers of the blood.
Dr. Raymond DuBois, a specialist in cancer prevention at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said acetaminophen works very differently from other painkillers and therefore could have different effects on cancer.
Still, cancers of the blood "it was quite surprising to see that acetaminophen use increases the risk of", DuBois, who did not participate in the study, told Reuters Health by email.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson sells Tylenol, has not responded to requests for comments.
White said it is too early to make any recommendations based on the new study, and that they do pain relievers are free of side effects.
"Long term use all or part of the counter drug could have adverse effects," she said. "You have to weigh the benefits against the risk of all drugs".
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