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Taking antidepressant drugs could lead to a "modest" increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, a Canadian study suggests.
The new research adds to a growing body of evidence that is raising troubling questions about the commonly used medications.
The latest study found that some antidepressants known as SSRIs -- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- appear to boost the chances of getting breast cancer.
Michelle Cotterchio, one of the researchers, described the increased risk as "modest" and said that more studies are needed before drawing any conclusions about particular drugs.
Last year, another team of Canadian researchers also found a link between breast cancer and a class of antidepressant medications known as tricyclics.
But Dr. Cotterchio noted that other studies have failed to find any link between the use of these drugs and breast cancer.
"The evidence to date does not support a change in the current use of antidepressant medications because the studies have been inconsistent," said Dr. Cotterchio, who is a scientist at Cancer Care Ontario.
As part of their study, researchers from Cancer Care Ontario and the University of Toronto compared two groups of Ontario women between the ages of 25 and 74: one group had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, while the other group was free of the disease. Both groups of women were asked to complete a questionnaire about their lifetime use of antidepressants and other medications.
They found that two SSRI medications -- sertraline(known by the brand name Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) -- raised the odds of getting breast cancer by about 50 per cent. But another SSRI -- fluoxetine (Prozac) -- increased the risk less than 10 per cent.
SSRI antidepressants have been on the market for only about a decade, noted Dr. Cotterchio. Studies done over the next few years should give a much better idea of the actual risks posed by the drugs because more patients will have taken them for a longer period of time.
She added that the first step in preventing breast cancer is learning what causes it. "And the causes of breast cancer are not well understood currently."
Dr. Cotterchio emphasized that patients suffering from depression should keep taking their medications. "It is much more important that they take care of their mental health than it is to worry about the possibility of getting breast cancer."
The new study was published in the December issue of the International Journal of Epidemiology.
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