MONDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Suppressing growth hormone and a related blood-borne compound in early adulthood could lower the likelihood of several kinds of cancer in people at high risk for the disease, researchers report.

Based on a study with rats, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center say a lifelong deficiency of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) decreased cancer risk by about 45 percent and decreased cancer deaths by 12 percent to 15 percent.

"Besides reducing the incidence of cancer in these rats, we found that a modest suppression of plasma IGF-1, beginning shortly after puberty and continued throughout life, reduces the incidence of kidney disease and increases lifespan," lead investigator William E. Sonntag, a professor of physiology and pharmacology, said in a prepared statement.

The findings were presented Sunday at the Endocrine Society annual meeting in San Diego.

Sonntag noted that IGF-1, which increases cell growth and prevents cell death, has been identified as a possible factor in triggering malignancy. Growth hormone is a circulating factor that increases IGF-1 levels.

"Elevated IGF-1 levels in pre-menopausal women have been demonstrated to be a risk factor for breast cancer, as well as numerous other cancers," Sonntag said.

IGF-1 may also act as a tumor promoter during the early stages of cancer, he added.

Currently, the somatostatin family of drugs is available to suppress growth hormone and IGF-1 in humans. Although more research is needed, Sonntag suggested that it might be possible to use drugs as a preventive treatment to lower IGF-1 levels before cancer begins, especially in high-risk people.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer.