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Morphine helps grow cancerous tumors

Laboratory studies give grounds for concluding that the morphine – which is prescribed as a powerful painkiller for cancer and its surgical treatment – may actually contribute to the development of tumors, experts say.

American scientists claim that opiate promotes growth of new blood vessels that supply the tumor tissue with oxygen and nutrients.

At the conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Boston, researchers have also reported they have found a drug that counteracts this phenomenon.

British charity Cancer Research UK, engaged in research on cancer, said that more data are needed before recommending changes in existing methods of treatment.

Patrick Singleton of the University of Chicago said at a meeting of specialists in Boston, that in laboratory studies morphine not only strengthens blood vessels, but appeared to facilitate the penetration of cancer cells in other tissues and, consequently, the spread of tumors.

At the same scientist also said that the process successfully counteracts drug metilnaltrekson: he was received in the 1980’s for removing delay chair, which arises in the use of morphine, but the use of this drug has only recently been approved in the United States. According to the Chicago professional, this drug works, without taking pain-killing properties of the opiate.

“long history”

When conducting experiments with mice, lung cancer, metilnaltrekson inhibited tumor growth-enhancing properties of morphine and decrease the prevalence of cancer in animals by 90%.

“If these data are confirmed in clinical trials, our discovery may change the procedure of anesthesia in surgical treatment of cancer patients “, – said Singleton, associate professor, University of Chicago Medical Center and study leader.

” Our results also give reason to examine potential areas of use of drugs like metilnaltreksona “, – says Singleton.

Investigations were made after his colleague, anasteziolog Jonathan Moss, said, that several patients who were given such a drug – a blocker of opiates after surgery lived longer than expected.

In Britain, Laura Bell, representing Cancer Research UK, said that the morphine long and successfully used as an extremely effective painkiller: “Research in this area are in the initial stage, so it is too early to say that opiates, painkillers have an impact on the growth of cancer”.

“needed much more detailed and lengthy studies to obtain a reasonable basis for making changes in the existing method of opiates in the treatment of cancer patients,” – says a British expert.