Does Ritalin Increase Cancer Risk in Children?
March 1, 2005 – Early research is raising concerns about the drug Ritalin, suggesting that children who take it may have an increased risk of cancer. All 12 of the children included in the study experienced an increase in chromosome abnormalities three months after starting Ritalin. Chromosome damage has been linked to heightened cancer risk and to other health problems. While potentially alarming, researchers say much larger studies are needed to confirm the preliminary findings. “Nobody is saying that because a child takes Ritalin he or she will develop cancer,” toxicologist and senior investigator Marvin Legator, PhD, tells WebMD.
