";s:4:"text";s:6541:" Two more companies recalled their ranitidine drugs, generic forms of Zantac, over concerns they may contain a carcinogenic substance. It means increased cellular growth and often precedes cancerous cell formation.âThe average person would likely be shocked to see that there are so many commonly prescribed drugs that are linked to tumors or cancers in lab animals and, in some cases, in humans.âThe public has been told that FDA approval means that a drug is âsafe and effective.ââBut what exactly do the words âsafe and effectiveâ mean?âI contend that the FDAâs definition of âsafe and effectiveâ is far different from the laymanâs definition of these two words.âIn the lexicon of the FDA, âsafe and effectiveâ most definitely does âI am now retired but during my career I concluded that nearly 100% of the people who looked up their drug in the âI do not believe that most people realize that a large number of drugs on the market are linked to tumors or cancers in lab animals and, in some cases, in humans.âI think that nothing scares people more than the word âcancer,â yet so many commonly prescribed drugs come with lots of scary information about potential carcinogenicity.âI think that, if given the opportunity, the average person would choose almost any adverse effect other than âcancer.ââI do not claim to be an expert on the subject of drug-induced cancers. The researchers who conduct these carcinogenicity studies in lab animals certainly know more about the details of these tests than I do.âBut I donât know who to ask to put all this carcinogenicity data into perspective. What does it all mean? Can someone tell me that all this data is meaningless and nothing to worry about? Then why is it included in the official prescribing information in the cc0 from https://pixabay.com/en/animal-mouse-experiment-laboratory-1554745/âBig Pharma seems to dismiss these studies by suggesting that rats and mice and dogs and guinea pigs are pathetic animals in comparison to the majestic âBig Pharma seems to imply that only the administration of massive doses to these lab animals results in the development of tumors.âBut I have noticed that a lot of this carcinogenicity information states that tumors develop in these lab animals at doses similar (on a pound for pound basis) to those given to humans.ââOne of the biggest criticisms of the FDA is that it does not fully understand the long-term hazards of the drugs it approves. The FDA cannot tell you with certainty that a drug you are taking for years will not cause you to develop cancer, or to increase the risk of cancer.âOver the years as I have read about the association between chemicals and cancer, I have wondered whether commonly prescribed drugs present a similar hazard to humans. Most drugs, like most chemicals, are synthetic substances, that are totally foreign to human evolution.âMost drugs are, in fact, chemicals. It turns out that commonly prescribed drugs may be just as likelyâor more likelyâto cause tumors in humans as are the synthetic chemicals that are so ubiquitous in modern societies.âOne would hope that our exposure to chemicals (including pesticides) is at minuscule levels. However, our exposure to drugs is at incredibly higher levels. Drugs are given at doses that have a therapeutic effect (they do things like lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, lower cholesterol, relieve pain, etc. 3. "They're fairly interchangeable, working equally well for most people," says Dr. Kyle Staller, a gastroenterologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.Stronger heartburn medications include a class of drugs called proton-pump inhibitors, or PPIs, such as over-the-counter lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec).