London: Women taking a particular
anti-depressant along with breast cancer drugs are more likely
to die of the disease, doctors have warned.
Researchers from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
and the University of Toronto found that anti-depressant
`Seroxat` interferes with breast cancer drug `tamoxifen` and
severe its beneficiary effects on the patients.
However, other anti-depressants did not have the same
effect, according to the study.
The findings, appeared in the British Medical Journal,
have major implications as most breast cancer patients also
suffer from depression.
For the study, the team looked at 2,430 breast cancer
patients aged 66 and above, who were being treated between
1993 and 2005.
All were taking tamoxifen and one of five other
anti-depressants, including Seroxat, the most commonly
prescribed. Over the next 2.4 years, 374 died of breast
cancer.
The researchers found that those taking Seroxat were far
more likely to die from breast cancer and slightly more likely
to die from any other cause.
"In conclusion, our findings indicate that the choice of
anti-depressant can significantly affect survival in women
receiving tamoxifen for breast cancer," said the report.
The authors, however, stressed that women should not stop
taking tamoxifen and that their study does not imply that
Seroxat causes or influences the course of breast cancer.
"This is simply a situation in which [Seroxat] impairs
the effectiveness of tamoxifen," they said.
PTI
