New MS Drugs Growing In Popularity But Are They Increasing The Risk Of Cancer?

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 13 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Current CIHR-funded research: In the first study of its kind, researchers from Canada are examining whether beta-interferon, widely used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), increases the risk of cancer for MS patients.

"Given the increasing popularity of MS drugs, even a moderate increase in the risk of cancer could translate into a substantial number of new cancer cases," says lead researcher Dr. Helen Tremlett at the University of British Columbia. "Our study will also benefit from its independence from the pharmaceutical industry, which manufactures beta-interferon."

Did you know: Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world - as many as 75,000 Canadians have the disease.

Source
Canadian Institutes of Health Research