Latest news with #MangeshThorat
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Long-Term Use of This Contraceptive Pill Linked to Increased Brain Tumor Risk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Using the progestogen-only contractive pill "desogestrel" for more than five years may increase the risk of developing a type of brain tumor known as an "intracranial meningioma," a new study has warned. The researchers noted that the risk is low—and is eliminated one year after desogestrel treatment is suspended—but that doctors' awareness of the possibility could eliminate the need for surgery in some cases. Meningiomas are a rare, non-cancerous form of tumor that arise from the membranes surrounding the brain. While slow-growing and benign in and of themselves, they can develop to a size that compresses other structures in the brain. They usually only require surgery when they cause symptoms such as persistent headaches or neurological issues. Woman holding combined oral contraceptive pill. Woman holding combined oral contraceptive pill. PATCHARIN SIMALHEK The study, based on data from France's national health system, compared over 8,000 women who underwent surgery for meningioma between 2020 and 2023 with more than 83,000 matched controls. Researchers found that women who had taken desogestrel continuously for more than five years had a slightly elevated risk of developing the brain tumors. Reassuringly, no increased risk was found for short-term use or for other commonly used progestogens like levonorgestrel, either alone or combined with estrogen. "This large study using French national database... shows [an] association between taking a certain progestogen (desogestrel) continuously for more than five years and meningioma risk, however, the magnitude of increase in the risk is small," said paper author Dr. Mangesh Thorat of Queen Mary University of London in a statement. Short-term use does not increase risk and the risk ceases after stopping use, he added. The authors estimate that one woman in every 67,000 using desogestrel would need surgery for meningioma and this drops to 1 in 17,000 with continuous use beyond five years. By comparison, breast cancer is about 10 times more common than meningioma. To understand progestogens, Thorat said it's crucial to note that the effects of different drug formulations can vary significantly and individual drugs can affect various organs differently. "Therefore, it is important to consider which specific drug is being used by an individual," he said. The study also showed that Microgynon and the morning-after pill—both containing levonorgestrel—were not linked to increased risk. Still, the findings have clinical relevance, especially for women over 45 or those with a prior history of using other high-risk progestogens. In such cases, the study suggests discontinuing desogestrel if a meningioma is identified, rather than jumping straight to surgery. "Stopping desogestrel may also avoid unnecessary potentially harmful treatments," said neurosurgeon Gilles Reuter of the University Hospital Liegein an accompanying editorial. Reuter emphasized that similar results have already been seen with other high-risk progestogens. While the study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect, its large sample size adds weight to the findings. However, experts say the takeaway should be caution, not alarm. For those affected by the findings, Thorat advises speaking with a healthcare provider regarding which drug is being used. "If it is associated with an increased risk of meningioma, this can be changed to a safer alternative," he said. "There is no reason to panic as the risk is very small and even in those who developed meningioma, stopping the specific drug has shown to cause regression in the size of meningioma." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about contraceptives? Let us know via health@ References Roland, N., Kolla, E., Baricault, B., Dayani, P., Duranteau, L., Froelich, S., Zureik, M., & Weill, A. (2025). Oral contraceptives with progestogens desogestrel or levonorgestrel and risk of intracranial meningioma: National case-control study. BMJ, 389. Reuter, G. (2025). Progestogens and meningioma: New evidence on levonorgestrel and desogestrel. BMJ, 389.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists crack how aspirin might stop cancers from spreading
Scientists believe they have discovered how the cheap painkiller aspirin can stop cancers spreading. In animal experiments they showed the drug enhanced the ability of the immune system to fight back. The team at the University of Cambridge said it was an exciting and surprise discovery that could eventually lead to cancer patients being prescribed the drug - but not yet and people are advised against just taking the pills themselves. Regular aspirin comes with risks and trials are still trying to figure out which patients are most likely to benefit. Tantalising data from more than a decade ago showed people who were already taking a daily aspirin were more likely to survive if they were diagnosed with cancer. But how? It appears to centre on a moment of vulnerability for a cancer - when a lone cell breaks off from the original tumour and tries, like a seed on the wind, to spread elsewhere in the body. This process is called metastasis and is the cause of the majority of deaths from cancer. Part of our immune defences - a white blood cell called a T-cell - can swoop in and destroy the spreading cancer as it tries to take root. But the study showed that another part of our blood - the platelets that normally stop bleeding - were suppressing the T-cells and making it harder for them to take out the cancer. Aspirin disrupts the platelets and removes their influence over the T-cells so they can hunt out the cancer. Prof Rahul Roychoudhuri, from the University of Cambridge, told me: "What we've discovered is that aspirin might work, surprisingly, by unleashing the power of the immune system to recognize and kill metastasizing cancer cells." He thinks the drug would work best in cancers that have been caught early and could be used after treatment such as surgery to help the immune system find any cancer that might already have spread. The most natural question for anybody with cancer to ask is should they be taking aspirin. "If you are a cancer patient, don't rush to your local pharmacy to buy aspirin just yet, but actively consider participation in ongoing or upcoming trials of aspirin," says Prof Mangesh Thorat, a surgeon and cancer researcher at Queen Mary University of London. He says the study provided "the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle" in understanding how aspirin works, but there were still questions to answer. Aspirin can cause dangerous internal bleeding including strokes so the risks have to be balanced. It is also not clear whether the effect works for all cancer or just specific ones. And this is still animal research so while the scientists think this would apply in people that will still need to be confirmed. Some patients - with Lynch syndrome, which increases the risk of cancers - are already recommended aspirin. But it will still take proper clinical trials to understand whether more patients would benefit too. These are already under way. Prof Ruth Langley, from the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, is leading the Add-Aspirin trial to see if aspirin can stop early stage cancers from coming back. She said the study's results were "an important discovery" as they would help to work out "who is most likely to benefit from aspirin after a cancer diagnosis". However, she again warned of the risks of taking aspirin and to "always talk to your doctor before starting". In the long-run, Prof Roychoudhuri suspects new drugs would be developed that take the benefits of aspirin, but with fewer of the risky side-effects. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, happened by accident as the scientists were not researching aspirin. The team in Cambridge were investigating how the immune system responded to cancers when they spread. They were using genetically engineered mice and found those lacking a specific set of genetic instructions were less likely to get metastatic cancer that had spread. Further investigation revealed how those T-cells were being suppressed and this started to overlap with how aspirin was known to work in the body. Dr Jie Yang, who carried out the research, said: "It was a Eureka moment. "It was an entirely unexpected finding which sent us down quite a different path of inquiry than we had anticipated." Boots recalls paracetamol over labelling error Warning over rapid at-home prostate tests Aspirin 'may prevent cancer in diabetes patients' Cancer family 'financially broken' by benefits wait Brain surgery took my childhood memories - will new op make me forget my fiance? The ultra-fast cancer treatments which could replace conventional radiotherapy
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Aspirin: Scientists crack how painkiller might stop cancers from spreading
Scientists believe they have discovered how the cheap painkiller aspirin can stop cancers animal experiments they showed the drug enhanced the ability of the immune system to fight team at the University of Cambridge said it was an exciting and surprise discovery that could eventually lead to cancer patients being prescribed the drug - but not yet and people are advised against just taking the pills aspirin comes with risks and trials are still trying to figure out which patients are most likely to benefit. Tantalising data from more than a decade ago showed people who were already taking a daily aspirin were more likely to survive if they were diagnosed with how?It appears to centre on a moment of vulnerability for a cancer - when a lone cell breaks off from the original tumour and tries, like a seed on the wind, to spread elsewhere in the body. This process is called metastasis and is the cause of the majority of deaths from of our immune defences - a white blood cell called a T-cell - can swoop in and destroy the spreading cancer as it tries to take root. But the study showed that another part of our blood - the platelets that normally stop bleeding - were suppressing the T-cells and making it harder for them to take out the cancer. Aspirin disrupts the platelets and removes their influence over the T-cells so they can hunt out the cancer. Prof Rahul Roychoudhuri, from the University of Cambridge, told me: "What we've discovered is that aspirin might work, surprisingly, by unleashing the power of the immune system to recognize and kill metastasizing cancer cells."He thinks the drug would work best in cancers that have been caught early and could be used after treatment such as surgery to help the immune system find any cancer that might already have spread. Should I take aspirin for cancer? The most natural question for anybody with cancer to ask is should they be taking aspirin. "If you are a cancer patient, don't rush to your local pharmacy to buy aspirin just yet, but actively consider participation in ongoing or upcoming trials of aspirin," says Prof Mangesh Thorat, a surgeon and cancer researcher at Queen Mary University of says the study provided "the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle" in understanding how aspirin works, but there were still questions to can cause dangerous internal bleeding including strokes so the risks have to be balanced. It is also not clear whether the effect works for all cancer or just specific ones. And this is still animal research so while the scientists think this would apply in people that will still need to be patients - with Lynch syndrome, which increases the risk of cancers - are already recommended it will still take proper clinical trials to understand whether more patients would benefit too. These are already under way. Prof Ruth Langley, from the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, is leading the Add-Aspirin trial to see if aspirin can stop early stage cancers from coming back. She said the study's results were "an important discovery" as they would help to work out "who is most likely to benefit from aspirin after a cancer diagnosis".However, she again warned of the risks of taking aspirin and to "always talk to your doctor before starting".In the long-run, Prof Roychoudhuri suspects new drugs would be developed that take the benefits of aspirin, but with fewer of the risky side-effects. 'Eureka moment' The discovery, published in the journal Nature, happened by accident as the scientists were not researching team in Cambridge were investigating how the immune system responded to cancers when they were using genetically engineered mice and found those lacking a specific set of genetic instructions were less likely to get metastatic cancer that had investigation revealed how those T-cells were being suppressed and this started to overlap with how aspirin was known to work in the body. Dr Jie Yang, who carried out the research, said: "It was a Eureka moment."It was an entirely unexpected finding which sent us down quite a different path of inquiry than we had anticipated."
