Human Growth Hormone (HGH) increases levels of hormones that are associated with cancer. Studies have linked the use of HGH to an 8-fold increased risk of colon cancer. Recent case-reports raise concern about colorectal cancer in older people using HGH for anti-aging purposes.
What You Can Do & How a HGH Lawsuit Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently investigating Human Growth Hormone (HGH) induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by colon cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Colon Cancer and Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
In 2002, The Lancet published a study investigating the long-term risks of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) treatment. After analyzing data on nearly 2,000 patients in the U.K., they found that those who used HGH between 1959-1985 were nearly three times as likely to die from cancer overall. They were also 8-times as likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Case Report Links HGH and Colon Cancer
The medical journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology published a case report in March 2008 linking the use of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) with highly-aggressive colon cancer in a 68 year-old man.
He was using HGH “off-label” for anti-aging purposes. Researchers were concerned because over 100,000 people use HGH without a prescription, and 30% who do get a prescription use it off-label for purposes like anti-aging, which are not approved by the FDA.
He visited a hospital complaining of blood in his stools and abdominal pain and was given a colonoscopy, which found a 7-cm mass of cells. The finding was surprising because the man had two colonoscopies in the last two years, neither of which detected the cancer. This suggests that the cancer grew very rapidly. When doctors performed exploratory abdominal surgery, they found widely metastatic colon cancer. The man died of his illness five months later.
The study does not prove that HGH caused his colon cancer or accelerated its growth. The man had Crohn’s disease, which is a risk-factor for colon cancer. However, HGH is known to cause proliferation of cancerous and non-cancerous cells. It also stimulates the liver to produce insulin growth-factor-1 (IGF-1), another cancer risk-factor. Researchers found high levels of IGF-1 and HGH in his body.
What is Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer occurs when cells begin growing out of control in the colon, which is the lower part of the intestine. Many cases of colon cancer also involve the rectum, which is the last few inches of the intestine. This disease is called colorectal cancer.
Colon cancer typically begins as a benign polyp, which is a small cluster of cells. Polyps rarely produce symptoms, but because they can potentially become malignant cancer, doctors often recommend removing them surgically. It is important to have screenings for colon cancer, especially after age 65.
Symptoms of Colon Cancer
- Change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation)
- Change in consistency of stools or narrowing of stools that lasts for more than a few days
- Rectal bleeding or bloody bowel movements
- Persistent abdominal pain, discomfort, gas, cramps
- Feeling like you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
- Weakness or fatigue
- Unintended weight-loss
Do I have a HGH Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently investigating Human Growth Hormone (HGH) induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by colon cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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