Illegal cancer drug purchases spreading among U.S. teensConcerns over side effects including fractures and vision damage
Medical professionals have issued a warning after reports emerged of U.S. teenagers seeking cancer drugs to increase their height.
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According to Fox News on Tuesday, cases have recently been reported in the United States of mostly teenage boys illegally buying and taking cancer drugs to grow taller. The practice is part of a trend known as “heightmaxxing,” in which people try to maximize their height.The drug they are seeking is erdafitinib, a targeted cancer drug used to treat bladder cancer. Online, it is referred to as “ERDA” or “Erta.” Some teenagers are reportedly trying the drug after claims that it can help with height growth spread on social media.Medical studies have in fact reported unexpected growth in some pediatric patients who received erdafitinib. A study published in 2024 in the international journal Hormone Research in Paediatrics observed abnormally rapid growth in two pediatric patients being treated with erdafitinib. A separate medical report also described a teenage patient who grew more than 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) while taking the drug but suffered serious skeletal complications.Experts cautioned that these cases do not prove the drug promotes height growth or is safe for that purpose. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine physician in New York, said, “It is deeply concerning that teenagers are taking a powerful cancer drug to grow taller,” adding, “This drug was developed to treat serious diseases, not to improve appearance.”Erdafitinib works by blocking certain cell-signaling pathways involved in the growth of cancer cells. These pathways also play a role in bone development, which may explain the unexpected changes in growth seen in some patients. However, this is different from normal skeletal development and could lead to growth plate damage or fractures.Widmer warned that “taking the drug can cause permanent vision damage, elevated phosphate levels in the blood, and metabolic abnormalities.” Other possible side effects include hip and knee pain, mouth ulcers, nail abnormalities, and skin conditions.Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer, said erdafitinib has never been approved to promote height growth and that its safety and effectiveness in children and adolescents have not been established. Experts also explained that adolescents whose growth plates have closed are unlikely to grow taller by taking the drug and may only be exposing themselves to the risk of side effects.
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Medical professionals advised parents to watch for unexplained joint pain or physical changes in their children and to talk with them if they suspect they are taking medication obtained online.
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