Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Published : July 7, 2020 3:20 PM IST
Colon and Rectal Cancer: This type of cancer accounts for 8 percent of all female cancer cases, as per estimates. Majority of colon and rectal cancers are diagnosed in adults ages 50 and over. Besides age, many other factors like being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, a diet high in red and processed meats, smoking, heavy alcohol use, being older, and a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps can contribute to development of this disease.
Colorectal cancer affects the colon and the rectum. It is a common form of cancer and, according to the American Cancer Society, around 1 in 21 men and 1 in 23 women in the United States will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetime. In India too, the incidence of colorectal cancer is growing. One reason for this may be an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Experts also say that obesity may be a major risk factor. Treatment for this type of cancer depends on many factors, including the size, location, and stage of the cancer. Treatment options are usually chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
But now researchers from the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong say that medications commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure may also reduce patients' colorectal cancer risk. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-i) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) medications are prescribed for conditions such as heart failure, high blood pressure or heart disease. These medications inhibit or block angiotensin, a chemical that causes arteries to become narrow, the researchers said.
Doctors commonly prescribe these medications to people with high blood pressure to relax and open blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure. The current study, published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal, revealed that taking these medications may also reduce colorectal cancer risk. Researchers say that this study provides new insights on a potential role of these medications for colorectal cancer prevention. According to them, this is the first study to show the potential beneficial effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs on colorectal cancer development, based on a large group of patients who were colorectal cancer-free at the beginning of the study.
The roles of ACE inhibitors and ARBs on cancer development are controversial and, in some cases, study findings are conflicting. Results of previous studies have been limited by several factors including a small number of patients and data only on short-term follow-ups. For the present study, researchers reviewed health records of 187,897 adult patients in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2013, with a negative baseline colonoscopy for colorectal cancer. They saw that those who took hypertension medications such as ACE-i or ARBs had a 22 per cent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer in the subsequent three years.
The benefits of ACE-i and ARBs were seen in patients 55 or older and those with a history of colon polyps and the benefit associated with the medications were limited to the first three years after the negative baseline colonoscopy. Researchers say that while ACE-i and ARBs are taken by patients with high blood pressure, heart failure and kidney diseases, the reduction in colorectal cancer risk may be an additional factor for physicians to consider when choosing anti-hypertensive medications.
However, researchers said that the results of this study must be verified with a prospective randomised controlled study. This, they say, will actively follow patients to determine the potential benefits of these medications on colorectal cancer risk.
(With inputs from IANS)
