Proton pump inhibitors and carcinogenesis: a literature review

Abstract

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are capable of producing adverse effects and, recently, the assumption that this class of drugs may induce the formation of neoplasms is discussed. The global incidence of neoplasms, especially gastric cancer, and the use of PPIs on a large scale for the long-term treatment of gastric diseases, promoted the realization of this project. Therefore, studies that discuss this relationship are identified and described. It is a literature review, exploratory and descriptive, which summarizes and groups results of scientifically signed research. The search and collection of data in the literature was carried out through online access to the medical literature databases: PubMed; Up To Date; Virtual Health Library (VHL), which includes: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Information System (LILACS), Electronic Scientific Online Library (SciELO) and Cochrane Library. It was also used the online interactive platform of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, of the World Health Organization (WHO). It seeks to identify and describe the studies and their lines of research that demonstrate the link between PPIs and cancer induction. Scientific studies report the association of PPIs with cancer, on the other hand, innovative research suggests that this class of drugs assumes therapeutic action in specific types of neoplasms. It is notable, therefore, the growing volume in the literature of medical-scientific articles and documents retifying the therapeutic power of PPIs in face of cancers. The need for larger and better designed prospective and interventionist studies is highlighted in order to define the real role of PPIs in the gastric microbiota. The validity of the data and the real role of PPIs in the human body are questioned.