Anticancer thrombolytic
Warfarin is a drug from the group of anticoagulants of indirect action, it reduces thrombosis by suppressing the synthesis of vitamin K. Indications for the appointment of warfarin are a history of heart attack or stroke or a high risk of their development, deep vein thrombosis, arrhythmia, condition after valve replacement and others.
Thus, warfarin is the gold standard in the prevention of thrombosis. In addition, scientists have long drawn attention to its ability to reduce the risk of cancer.
A study based on cancer models has shown that warfarin blocks the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase by inhibiting a vitamin K-dependent protein called Gas6, which may inhibit the spread of cancer cells.
A group of scientists led by James B. Lorens from the University of Bergen (Norway) set themselves the task of determining whether warfarin is able to reduce the risk of cancer. A large retrospective population study was conducted, which included data from 1,256,725 people born in Norway between 1924 and 1954, the ratio of men and women was approximately equal.
Information was collected on their use of warfarin in the period from 2004 to 2012. The incidence of cancer was assessed in the period from 2006 to 2012. Of all the study participants, 92,942 people took warfarin.
It was found that the incidence of malignant neoplasms was 16% lower among patients taking warfarin compared to the rest of the study participants. According to the results of a narrower analysis, warfarin reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 31%, lung cancer by 20%, breast cancer by 10%.
The data from this study proves that warfarin is indeed associated with a reduced risk of cancer. But it is not without drawbacks, the main one of which is the design of the study. The analysis of retrospective data does not allow to determine the mechanism of antitumor effect, as well as to provide direct evidence of the connection of warfarin intake with the absence of cancer. In addition, the researchers did not take into account other factors, such as smoking, diet, weight of patients.
The authors of the article report that they will continue to work in this direction, since the antitumor effect of warfarin can help reduce the incidence of cancer.
Article by Gry S. Haaland et al. Association of Warfarin Use With Lower Overall Cancer Incident Among Patients Older Than 50 Years is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Medical News Today: Warfarin may prevent cancer.