A medication commonly used to treat urinary tract infections may be accompanied by a potential cancer risk, suggest experts, who have flagged the active ingredient, phenazopyridine hydrochloride which is found in many pills, both generic and name-brand.
The pill, many of which sell over-the-counter for less than $15 in Britain, are used to help reduce pain, burning and irritation associated with the infections, and promise relief in as little as 20 minutes.
However, while phenazopyridine hydrochloride has been used for decades, it is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, reports The Independent. Now, recent studies have raised questions about its use.
“There is no need for this drug,” Rita Jew, who serves as the President of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, told Bloomberg.
“The data available from epidemiological studies are inadequate to evaluate the relationship between human cancer and exposure specifically to phenazopyridine hydrochloride,” the report said.
There are more than 8m related visits to healthcare providers in the US each year to treat a UTI, according to the American Urological Association. Many people experience repeat infections, and around 60% of women and 12% of men will have at least one UTI during their lifetimes.
But even the labels on the drugs recognise that there is risk associated with the products.
“This product contains phenazopyridine hydrochloride, known to the State of California to cause cancer,” the AZO label says.
“Long-term administration of phenazopyridine HCl has induced neoplasia in rats (large intestine) and mice (liver). Although no association between phenazopyridine HCl and human neoplasia has been reported, adequate epidemiological studies along these lines have not been conducted,” the URISTAT Pain Relief Tablet box notes. Neoplasia is the abnormal growth of cells.
It was also listed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Service as a hazardous substance in 2001.
Bloomberg also flagged that phenazopyridine hydrochloride has been blamed for masking serious infections, slowing breathing, upset stomach and reddish-orange urine. One adverse effect, known as methaemoglobinaemia, is rare but can be life-threatening.
Still, even physicians may not have heard about the possible ties to cancer.
“It’s the first time I’ve even heard about this. I’m totally unaware,” New York-based gynaecologist Steven Goldstein told Bloomberg.
The Independent article – Popular over-the-counter drugs have been tied to cancer (Open access)
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New drug combination highly effective against urinary tract infections – global trial
Most women receive inappropriate treatment for uncomplicated UTIs
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