In 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Zantac (ranitidine) contained a cancer-causing impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Since the announcement, additional information has become available further connecting this medication to an increased risk of more and more types of cancer.
How is this medication connected to breast cancer and prostate cancer?
Researchers have found a connection between the impurity found in Zantac and an increased likelihood of developing certain cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. A study published in the American Association for Cancer Research discusses the connection between Zantac and breast cancer. In this study, researchers found that women who used ranitidine products like Zantac were over two times as likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who did not.
Another study focused in on exposure to nitrosamines like NDMA. This study, published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal, researchers found a connection between the development of prostate cancer and exposure to NDMA.
What does this mean for those who develop cancer after using Zantac?
The FDA has already made the connection between Zantac and the presence of a cancer-causing impurity. Patients who used the medication have been filing legal actions against drug manufacturers across the country. If the makers of this drug were aware of the connection, victims may be able to hold them responsible for their cancers.
As the connection between use of ranitidine and various types of cancer becomes stronger, more people are realizing that their cancer may have been caused by the drugs they used for years. Find out if you are entitled to compensation for your losses.
