Growth hormones may lead to colon cancer

People given growth hormones as children run a far higher risk of developing colon cancer and Hodgkin’s disease in later life.

Researchers followed 1848 patients who had received human pituitary growth hormone as a child during 1959-1985. They found that the incidence of several types of cancer were far higher than the population average.

In all, around 100,000 people received growth hormones, and the cancer risk is 'of some concern', the study group concluded (Lancet, 2002; 360: 273-7).

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