A 2017 study links stomach cancer and PPI use, suggesting that these common heartburn meds may be more dangerous than originally thought.

PPIs, or proton pump inhibitors, are a type of medication commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux. These medications work by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Unfortunately, these drugs may have dangerous side effects.

Stomach Cancer and PPI Use

According to 2017 research, patients using PPIs can have almost twice the normal risk of stomach cancer. The research suggests that the medication may be linked to other serious side effects including kidney problems.

Patients who took PPIs daily reportedly were four times more likely to develop stomach cancer than those who only took the PPIs once a week. The study suggested that stomach cancer risk went up the longer the patient took the drugs — when patients were on the medication for over a year, they were more than five times likely to get stomach cancer. Patients who took the drugs for over three years were eight times more likely to develop stomach cancer than the general population.

The study did not prove a cause-and-effect connection between stomach cancer and PPI drugs, though did shed some light on the nature of the connection.

Reportedly, patients who were infected with the bacteria Heliobacter pylori were the most likely to develop stomach cancer connected with PPI use. In general, eliminating the presence of H. pylori is seen to decrease a patient’s risk of developing stomach cancer. Researchers extrapolate that a patient who already had a higher risk of delving stomach cancer because they were infected with H. pylori bacteria may increase that risk further when they take PPI medications.

Dr. Wai Keung Leung, lead researcher in the 2017 study, is a professor of gastroenterology at the University of Hong Kong. According to WebMD, he suggested that users with past H. pylori infection should be “cautious with the prolonged usage of PPIs.” He went on to say that “doctors should review the indications and needs of long-term PPIs in these patients.”

Despite the research linking stomach cancer and PPI medications, experts do not think that medical professionals should stop prescribing PPIs entirely. Instead, researchers and experts suggest that doctors make decisions about PPI use on an individual patient basis, and use caution when prescribing PPIs.

Dr. Sherif Andrawes, director of endoscopy at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City said, according to WebMD, “in my own experience, I have seen medicine evolve. And one thing that I do try to keep in mind is, while many studies exist and treatment is evolving, we must tailor treatment on an individual basis.”

While more research is still needed on the connection between stomach cancer and PPI use, some patients may have already been harmed by PPI use, and may have developed stomach cancer as a result.

If you used to or currently take a common heartburn medication like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid and you developed stomach cancer, you may have a legal claim. Lawyers are investigating patient claims of stomach cancer and PPI use.