IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, KATY WARNERChronic users of acetaminophen (Tylenol) have a higher risk of developing blood cancer, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The increased risk is small, but the finding adds to a growing body of literature that links cancer and painkillers (see last month's feature on the topic for more information). Previous work, for example, suggested that aspirin increases the chances of colon cancer survival, while also increasing the risk of bleeding ulcers, according to Reuters. It's still unclear, however, whether acetaminophen causes cancer, said study coauthor Emily White of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Tylenol tied to blood cancer
Chronic users of acetaminophen (Tylenol) have a higher risk of developing blood cancer, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Written byJef Akst
Jef Akst was managing editor of The Scientist, where she started as an intern in 2009 after receiving a master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses.
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Meet the Author
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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