The anti-cancer effects of quinolone antibiotics?

Abstract

A previous meta-analysis showed that quinolones administered for prophylaxis of infections among cancer patients reduced all-cause mortality. We extracted from the primary trials infection-related and all-cause mortality as reported and assessed the effect of quinolones on non-infection-related mortality through meta-analysis. Among trials comparing quinolones to placebo or no treatment, a significant reduction in non-infection-related mortality was observed (relative risk 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.93, 15 trials, 3,320 patients). This finding might represent biased attribution of deaths to infection or might be compatible with an anti-cancer effect of quinolone antibiotics. We present further analyses addressing these possibilities.

• Authors: M Paul, A Gafter-Gvili, A Fraser, L Leibovici
• Journal: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology (Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis) Vol. 26 Issue 11 Pg. 825-31 (Nov 2007) ISSN: 0934-9723 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 17701431 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis)

Chemical References

• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
• Quinolones

Topics

• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Quinolones (therapeutic use)