title: Hypothesis: Is heroin a 'barrier' against cancer? A retrospective analysis of heroin-addicted individuals untreated for opioid dependence between 2001-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The findings of previous studies attracted our interest in searching and defining the percentage of deaths from cancer in 'heroin regular addicts' i.e. those who had never stopped taking the drug since they started.
  
  
  METHODS
  The archives of the Greek Reitox Focal Point of the years 2001 to 2010 were retrospectively searched, focusing on the number of deaths from cancer of the regular heroin addicts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The records from 2,321 regular heroin addicts showed that none of them died from cancer. It seems that heroin might act as a "barrier" against cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are needed to confirm our results and to explore the potential cause for this surprising finding.
authors.affiliation: Democritus University, Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papaloucas
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papaloucas
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kouloulias
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mystakidou
authors.forename: Kiriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pistevou-Gompaki
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neanidis
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: Aristofanis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papaloucas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors