A new study suggests that valproic acid-based drugs that are widely used in neuroscience and psychiatry can reduce the risk of head and neck cancer, according to the Internet publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35. Pannochka. net A research team led by Dr. Johann Christoph Brandes, an employee of the Atlanta Veteran Medical Center and Emory University, published its findings in the journal Cancer.

Valproic acid (Valproic acid, VPA) is widely used for the treatment of epilepsy and manic-depressive diseases, bipolar disorder.

In addition, this drug is able to block histone acetyltransferases (HATs) - enzymes that control the expression of genes by changing the structure of the DNA. This process occurs at an early stage in many types of cancer, including lung, bladder, prostate, head and neck cancer.

Therefore, the researchers saw in valproate a potential remedy against cancer, and decided to study this question in more detail.

Scientists analyzed information from the National Veterans Affairs Medical SAS database associated with the Central Cancer Registry VA. It contains information on 439,628 veterans, 26,911 of whom received valproic acid for the treatment of bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), migraine and seizures.

Valproates prevent 16 000 new cases of head and neck cancer?.

The results of their analysis showed that persons who used VPA for at least 1 year had a 34% lower risk of developing head and neck cancer compared to those who did not use such medications.

The researchers found that the risk reduction was even more significant if patients took valproic acid for 3 years or more.

However, they noted that they could not determine the optimal duration of the VPA to achieve a prophylactic effect, because the sample was limited.

The university says that the prophylactic effect, most likely, is dose-dependent. Patients who took large doses of VPA had an even lower risk of head and neck cancer. But again, to determine the optimal dose is not yet possible.

According to the National Cancer Institute of the United States, head and neck tumors account for approximately 3% of all cancers in America. Most people who are over 50 years old. At least 75% of cases are associated with alcohol and tobacco use.

Dr. Brandes says that a 34% reduction in the risk of cancer on valproate is equivalent to the prevention of approximately 16,000 new cases and 3-4 thousand deaths per year in the United States alone.

He said:

"Head and neck cancer is an important global health problem, and such a low-toxic and cheap preventive agent as valproic acid can greatly affect the pain, suffering, mortality and costs associated with this cancer".

The research team found that VPA had no significant effect on the risk of lung, bladder, colon and prostate cancer.

They concluded that in order to confirm the anti-cancer effect of VPA, a special study. Scientists believe that the drug will be useful in patients with precancerous conditions that can degenerate into head and neck tumors.

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