They associate the appearance of stomach cancer with one of the best-selling drugs in Spain

Staying at home, feeling unwell and looking for a pill in the medicine cabinet to alleviate this condition is one of the most common gestures of all Spaniards. Of course, the same thing is always used: drugs such as ibuprofen, paracetamol or naproxen, chemicals that can be bought at pharmacies without a prescription. In Spain, 26% of citizens self-medicate. This information is a serious concern because insufficient intake can cause serious side effects to health.

In the group of tablets that are in all homes, there is also omeprazole,

a star drug that acts as a stomach protector and promises to treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease and ulcers caused by bacteria H. pylori and conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in adults, says the US National Library of Medicine.

Since AstraZeneca first came to market in 1987, this proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which targets stomach lining cells and suppresses acid secretion by up to 80%, has remained in production due to its many benefits. However, this may change. Research published in the journal British Medical Journal and conducted by researchers from University College London and the University of Hong Kong, found that this drug can cause stomach cancer in a group of patients.

The alarm went off when scientists assessed Hong Kong’s entire health database. In it, they saw that of the nearly 64,000 subjects analyzed who used a proton pump inhibitor to treat Helicobacter pylori, they had Risk 2.4 times higher

from stomach cancer develops than those treated with H2 blockers, a medication that also treats heartburn.

Although the initial results of the study are clear, more research is needed strengthen scientific evidence.

Stomach cancer incidence statistics in Spain

As every year, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has prepared a report on tumors that will be reported in 2024. The most common types of cancer would be colon and rectum (44,294 new cases), mother (36,395), lung (32,768), prostate (30,316) and bladder (22,097). The next most common types of cancer will be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as cancer of the pancreas, kidney, oral cavity and pharynx, uterine body (7305), stomach and liver.

According to the SEOM report, 6,868 new people will be diagnosed with gastric neoplasia. Likewise, you will have survival 26% for men and 30.3% for women.