Anti-depressants linked to recurrent breast cancer
Healthcare experts have discovered that anti-depressants are linked to recurring breast cancer, which may boost the need for medical insurance.
A new study by Medco Health Solutions reveals that drugs including fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertaline can eliminate the benefit of the cancer-preventing pharmaceutical tamoxifen.
According to the researchers, many people take the anti-depressants to counter hot flushes, but the results could have a negative effect.
A study of 353 women taking tamoxifen along with the other drugs, and 945 taking tamoxifen alone, found that the 14 per cent of the 353 women suffered recurring breast cancer - double the ratio in the single-treatment group.
Paroxetine and fluoxetine were found to be the most influential in preventing tamoxifen's effect, illustrating the need for medical health insurance.
In other news, specialists at the Medical Research Council have found that a gene known as BRCA1 may be the key to combating the disease, which kills nearly 12,000 women a year in the UK.
By Stephen Tate 
Adfero Ltd provides live and tailored breaking industry news for Chartis Direct. All industry news is prepared by Adfero Ltd and as such does not represent the views or opinions of Chartis Direct a trading name of UNAT Direct Insurance Management Limited.
© Adfero Ltd 2008
