Are tricyclic antidepressants linked to Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer risk?
People who take tricyclic antidepressants are at increased risk for a rare group of blood cancers known as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society, and published in the journal Epidemiology. “Our results indicate an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma specifically among long-term users of tricyclic antidepressant medications,” the researchers wrote. “Given the high prevalence of antidepressant use, this finding warrants additional studies.” This follows a previous study by the same researchers where long-term users of tricyclic drugs had a two and a half times higher risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma than those who took none. No increase in risk was found among those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. “Our study, however, raises the hypothesis of a serious long-term side effect from tricyclic antidepressants, and this needs further research,” lead researcher Susanne Oksbjerg Dalt
