The combination of Tamoxifen and Seroxat causes death

WOMEN who are taking the antidepressant drug Seroxat at the same time as drugs used to stop breast cancer from recurring are at greater risk of dying from this cancer. Researchers have found that Seroxat can interact with tamoxifen , which is prescribed to breast cancer survivors for five years continuously.

This finding has major implications because many of these women also suffer from depression. About one in four patients suffers from depression. However, other types of antidepressants do not have the same effect.

Interfere with the effectiveness of tamoxifen
In this study, researchers from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and the University of Toronto in Canada studied 2,430 women aged 66 or over. All participants were on medication between 1993 and 2005. All participants were taking tamoxifen and one in five participants were taking antidepressants, including Seroxat , which is the most commonly prescribed.

Over the next two years, 374 patients died from breast cancer. The analysis showed that those who took Seroxat had a greater risk of dying from breast cancer and a slightly greater risk of dying from other causes, than women who did not use the drug.

Researchers found that if patients used Seroxat for 25 percent of the total time they used tamoxifen , their risk of dying from breast cancer increased by 24 percent.

When Seroxat was taken for 50 percent of the total time on tamoxifen, the risk of death increased independently by 54 percent and when taken for 75 percent of the total time tamoxifen was used the risk of death increased by 91 percent.

"In conclusion, our findings indicate that the choice of antidepressants greatly affects the survival of women using tamoxifen for breast cancer," explained the researchers, as quoted by the dailymail.com website.

However, the researchers emphasized that women should not stop taking tamoxifen . In addition, the researchers also stated that their study did not indicate that Seroxat causes or affects breast cancer. "This study simply shows that Seroxat interferes with the effectiveness of tamoxifen .

"When a prescription for tamoxifen and antidepressants is needed, it is better to choose an antidepressant that does not affect the metabolism of tamoxifen," explained one of the researchers, Dr. David Juurlink. A spokesperson for Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), which manufactures Seroxat, stated that the company was aware of the association and updated the warning on the Seroxat label in 2008. "Following the publication of this new research, GSK will review this additional data and will work with policy makers to determine next steps." (OL-08)


Source: MEDIA INDONESIA

Read also report msnbc.comabout almost the same issue here .