Reserpine and Breast Cancer: A Perspective
- Hershel Jick, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
The possibility of a connection between reserpine and cancer of the female breast is currently the subject of much scientific debate and is also causing anxiety and concern among both physicians and patients. The origin of this debate and concern was the publication of three studies—conducted in the United States, Britain, and Finland—that pointed to a statistical association between reserpine use and breast cancer.1-3
The first study was suggested by data from a general purpose survey designed to assess possible relationships of many commonly used drugs to a variety of illnesses. The data came from patients hospitalized in the Boston area. The other two studies, prompted by the Boston findings, were specifically designed to determine whether or not a relationship existed between reserpine-like drugs and breast cancer.
The designs of these studies have been criticized, especially selections of the control series.4 However, such criticisms seem unjustified in the
Footnotes
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