thogan
05-25-05, 11:20 AM
My son was diagnosed with ADHD in December which began our quest for knowledge. Since December we have visited three different doctors and depending on the day of the week our son could have either Aspergers, ADHD, PDD, or CAPD depending on which doctor we saw. He has been on Concerta since December and has improved immensely in school though he is still hyper when in groups (i.e. Baseball, soccer, cub scouts). We also knew he had sensory Integration Dysfunction and really didn't think he had any type of ADHD (partially denial) until he started first grade this past year. Anyways I came across an article on line on another website which talks about the relationship between increased chromosone activity in children taking Ritalin and Cancer. Here is the abstract:
In recent years there has been a surge in methylphenidate (Ritalin) use for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, there is a paucity of information on whether this drug poses any potential health risks, such as mutagenicity or carcinogenicity, for humans. To address this issue, we investigated whether this central nervous system stimulant produces cytogenetic abnormalities in pediatric patients at therapeutic levels. In a population composed of twelve children treated with therapeutic doses of methylphenidate, we analyzed three cytogenetic endpoints in peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained before and three months after initiation of treatment with this drug. In all participants, treatment induced a significant 3, 4.3 and 2.4-fold increase in chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei frequencies, respectively (P=0.000 in all cases). These findings warrant further investigations of the possible health effects of methylphenidate in humans, especially in view of the well-documented relationship between elevated frequencies of chromosome aberrations and increased cancer risk.
Has anyone read this article or heard of this relationship? I found it in several sources stated the University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center discovered this relationship. Any inputs would be appreciated?
Regard,
Tom in CT
In recent years there has been a surge in methylphenidate (Ritalin) use for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, there is a paucity of information on whether this drug poses any potential health risks, such as mutagenicity or carcinogenicity, for humans. To address this issue, we investigated whether this central nervous system stimulant produces cytogenetic abnormalities in pediatric patients at therapeutic levels. In a population composed of twelve children treated with therapeutic doses of methylphenidate, we analyzed three cytogenetic endpoints in peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained before and three months after initiation of treatment with this drug. In all participants, treatment induced a significant 3, 4.3 and 2.4-fold increase in chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei frequencies, respectively (P=0.000 in all cases). These findings warrant further investigations of the possible health effects of methylphenidate in humans, especially in view of the well-documented relationship between elevated frequencies of chromosome aberrations and increased cancer risk.
Has anyone read this article or heard of this relationship? I found it in several sources stated the University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center discovered this relationship. Any inputs would be appreciated?
Regard,
Tom in CT