Manic Depression Meds May Prevent Cancer

A type of medication used to treat epilepsy and manic-depressive illnesses has proven effective at reducing the risk of contracting head and neck cancers in at-risk patients, according to the findings of a recent study.

They study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Cancer, looked into the use of valproic acid (VPA) as a anticancer agent.

Comparing medical information from the National Veterans Affairs Medical SAS data set to the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Register, researchers were able to deterring the cancer risks of both VPA medicated patients and non-medicated veterans.

Of 3439,638 veterans involved in the study, 26911 were taking some form of VPA medication to treat bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic migraines, or even seizures.

The comparative analysis resulted in researchers determining that individuals taking VPAs for at least a year had a 34 percent lower risk of developing head and neck cancer, compared to those who have never taken the medication. They also found that this reduction in risk markedly increased in people who have been treated with VPAs for at least three years. However, due to a smaller sample group, exact numbers remained unclear. Likewise, the research team was also able to find evidence that increased dosage of VPA medication decreased cancer risk. However, they were unable to determine an optimal dosage.

According to the study's authors, a 34 percent reduction in cancer risk could help an estimated 16,000 patients avoid developing head or neck cancer.

As VPAs are already regularly prescribed to veterans and emotionally unstable patients in the U.S., they are considered relatively safe and low-cost medications, making them an ideal preventative treatment option for patients at risk of developing cancer. There is a very low risk that a patient prescribed VPA medication may experience serious or life threatening liver damage, but signs of this rare adverse effect traditionally show themselves within the first six months of treatment, allowing physicians to halt medication immediately.

The study concludes that the research team's findings warrants further research into VPAs potential as an anticancer agent.

The study was published in Cancer on March 24.