Spironolactone for Acne: Study Evaluates Risk of Cancer

FightAcne.com:  What are the main findings?

Response:-We identified 7 studies for inclusion in our review, which included over 4.5 million patients treated with spironolactone. In our meta-analysis, we did not identify any evidence for increased risk of breast, ovarian, bladder, kidney, gastric, or esophageal cancer. In addition, we found a reduced risk of prostate cancer among those treated with spironolactone.

FightAcne.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Spironolactone is a valuable treatment option for patients with acne, hidradenitis, androgenetic alopecia, and hirsutism. We hope that this study can help reassure patients that taking spironolactone should not meaningfully increase their risk of cancer.

FightAcne.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Most of the studies included in our meta-analysis were among older populations and in the setting of treatment of hypertension or heart failure. As a result, future studies are needed among more diverse populations, such as younger patients with acne, to confirm whether these results generalize to other settings.

No relevant disclosures

Citation:

Bommareddy K, Hamade H, Lopez-Olivo MA, Wehner M, Tosh T, Barbieri JS. Association of Spironolactone Use With Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol. Published online February 09, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.5866

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2788624

The information on FightAcne.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.