Scientific PPI and stomach cancer studies on acid reflux medications have reportedly confirmed the link between stomach cancer and drugs such as Nexium.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are a class of medication used in the treatment of conditions including acid reflux and heartburn. Brand name PPI drugs include Nexium, Nexium IV, Nexium 24 HR, Prilosec, Prilosec OTC, Prevacid, Prevacid IV, Prevacid 24-Hour, Protonix, Zegerid, and Zegerid OTC.

Although these drugs are widely used all over the world, studies on PPI and stomach cancer outcomes have reportedly shown that long term use of these medications increases the risk of stomach cancer by 250 percent.

The increased risk for stomach cancer may be associated with a bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori. The bacteria is carried by over half of the world and is often harmless. However, it is sometimes linked to the development of stomach cancer in a small percentage of infected individuals. PPI and stomach cancer research have shown that those who are infected with Helicobacter pylori and take PPI drugs for an extended period of time are at a higher risk of developing atrophic gastritis.

Atrophic gastritis is a condition of chronic inflammation which affects the stomach’s mucous membrane. Although it is not understood exactly how atrophic gastritis leads to stomach cancer, research has identified the condition as a precursor to cancer.

Studies have shown that daily use of PPI drugs increases the risk of developing stomach cancer by 4.55 times. This risk jumps to 8 times greater chances when regular PPI usage is continued for longer than three years.

One PPI and stomach cancer study was conducted by Dr. Wai Keung Leung, a professor of gastroenterology at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Leung and his research team reportedly found that there is a definite association between long term PPI use and the development of stomach cancer, although the study could not definitively prove that PPI drugs cause stomach cancer.Although a strong conclusion hasn’t been reached by the medical community, Dr. Leung recommends that individuals try not to use PPI medications long term.

“The advice to PPI users, particularly those with past H. pylori infection, is to be cautious with the prolonged usage of PPIs,” Dr. Leung said. “Doctors should review the indications and needs of long-term PPIs in these patients.”

The lack of concrete evidence is keeping some doctors on the fence, including Dr. Sherif Andrawes who is the director of endoscopy at Staten Island University Hospital.

“In my own experience, I have seen medicine evolve. And one thing that I try to keep in mind is, while many studies exist and treatment is evolving, we must tailor treatment on an individual basis,” said Dr. Andrawes.

He notes that PPI therapy is “necessary” in some medical situations and that “the risk of side effects is lesser than the risk of developing bleeding or cancer of another area in the GI [gastro-intestinal] tract”. However, he also routinely tries to treat acid reflux patients with diet and lifestyle changes before jumping straight to treatment with PPI medications.