ranitidine (Zantac) for fighting breast cancer?

Longtermsurvivor

MBC friends,

I know this is a farfetched question, but is anyone exploring use of ranitidine (Zantac) in their medical approaches to MBC? I found only few posts about ranitidine (Zantac) on this forum and all were for GERD/heartburn.

The following abstract (1) is by a Canadian group that researches the gene (LKB1/STK11) of my rare genetic condition (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome- PJS) and its relationship to breast cancer and estrogen (2-4, all available free full text at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed).

This risk of breast cancer in PJS is over 50% and combined risk of cancer is 93%.

Other research groups have focused on the connections between LKB1/mTOR connection and LKB1/metabolism/metformin.

many fine healing regards, Stephanie

References:

1:Ranitidine modifies myeloid cell populations and inhibits breast tumor development and spread in mice.

Oncoimmunology. 2016 Mar 10;5(7):e1151591. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1151591.

eCollection 2016.

Vila-Leahey A(1), Oldford SA(1), Marignani PA(2), Wang J(3), Haidl ID(1),

Marshall JS(1).

Author information:

(1)Dalhousie Inflammation Group, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

(2)Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University , Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

(3)Dalhousie Inflammation Group, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Histamine receptor 2 (H2) antagonists are widely used clinically for the control of gastrointestinal symptoms, but also impact immune function. They have been reported to reduce tumor growth in established colon and lung cancer models. Histamine has also been reported to modify populations of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs).

We have examined the impact of the widely used H2 antagonist ranitidine, on both myeloid cell populations and tumor development and spread, in three distinct models of breast cancer that highlight different stages of cancer progression.

Oral ranitidine treatment significantly decreased the monocytic MDSC population in the spleen and bone marrow both alone and in the context of an orthotopic breast tumor model. H2 antagonists ranitidine and famotidine, but not H1 or H4 antagonists, significantly inhibited lung metastasis in the 4T1 model.

In the E0771 model, ranitidine decreased primary tumor growth while omeprazole treatment had no impact on tumor development. Gemcitabine treatment prevented the tumor growth inhibition associated with ranitidine treatment. In keeping with ranitidine-induced changes in myeloid cell populations in non-tumor-bearing mice, ranitidine also delayed the onset of spontaneous tumor development, and decreased the number of tumors that developed in LKB1(-/-)/NIC mice. These results indicate that ranitidine alters monocyte populations associated with MDSC activity, and subsequently impacts breast tumor development and outcome.

Ranitidine has potential as an adjuvant therapy or preventative agent in breast cancer and provides a novel and safe approach to the long-term reduction of tumor-associated immune suppression.

DOI: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1151591

PMID: 27622015 [PubMed]

2: Pre-clinical study of drug combinations that reduce breast cancer burden due to aberrant mTOR and metabolism promoted by LKB1 loss.

Andrade-Vieira R, Goguen D, Bentley HA, Bowen CV, Marignani PA.

Oncotarget. 2014 Dec 30;5(24):12738-52.

PubMed PMID: 25436981; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4350354.

3: LKB1 catalytic activity contributes to estrogen receptor alpha signaling.

Nath-Sain S, Marignani PA.

Mol Biol Cell. 2009 Jun;20(11):2785-95.

doi: 10.1091/mbc.E08-11-1138. Epub 2009 Apr 15. PubMed PMID: 19369417; PubMed Central

PMCID: PMC2688557.

4: Loss of LKB1 expression reduces the latency of ErbB2-mediated mammary gland tumorigenesis, promoting changes in metabolic pathways.

Andrade-Vieira R, Xu Z, Colp P, Marignani PA.

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56567.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056567. Epub 2013 Feb 22. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2013;8(2). doi:10.1371/annotation/f4149a95-c6e6-45f6-9a6a-2d4f48f8d62c. PubMed PMID:

23451056; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3579833.

Pessa

thank you for this information!

JFL

Interesting. I had not heard about this. I was aware ranitidine is used for certain viral infections (in an over the counter "off label" sort of way) but didn't know about the cancer connection. I hope this pans out as an effective supplement to treatment.

blainejennifer

I've been doing double doses of OTC ranitidine for about two years now. I needed it for GERD, but read those studies, and thought I'd keep on taking it should my GERD ever resolve. I've also been taking two baby aspirins daily for about three years. I know I'm an N+1 study, but I'm 4.5 years out, and still here.

I'm also taking Celebrex, a Cox-2 inhibitor for bone pain. Turns out, it might also be useful in cancer cell suppression. http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research-news-v...

Also, for those who haven't the time to read all the stuff out there, there's beginning to be a belief that Dexamethozone can reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Google this: A Dissertation Entitled Novel Actions of Steroid Receptors that Limit Treatment Response in Breast and Lung Cancers by Mugdha Patki. I'm trying to get my hands on the raw data for his assertions, but - till then - I'm asking for the lowest dose possible of dex* before chemo. It's not a hardship; I've always hated it for the night time jitters and the need to eat like it's my job for two days after chemo.

Off to bed. Hopefully. Insomnia visits me far too much.

* auto-correct changed this to "sex". That would have been a fun read.

kt1966

Thanks Stephanie,

I'm on daily omeprazole for heartburn/reflux. I will ask my onc if I can do ranitidine instead. It's worth a go in my book

(I will tell him about the study- he may know already, but just in case)

kt