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A widely prescribed arrhythmia drug may increase the risk of developing cancer, according to a new study.

The study reveals that the cancer risk is especially high in men and in people exposed to high amounts of amiodarone, a drug approved in 1985 for the treatment of arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats.

Researchers said the latest findings published online in the journal Cancer calls for further investigation into the potential link between amiodarone and cancer. 

Researchers explain that because amiodarone is fat-soluble and degrades very slowly, large amounts can accumulate in soft tissues after long-term prescription. Past research has linked amiodarone to an increased risk of certain cancers like leukemia and lung cancer, but no large-scale study has explored this relationship. 

Researcher Dr. Vincent Yi-Fong Su of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan and his team followed 6,418 patients taking amiodarone for an average of 2.57 years.  The study found that a total of 280 patients or 4.5 percent of study participants developed cancer.

The study found that male patients or patients on high cumulative daily doses of the arrhythmia drug within the first year had an increased risk of developing cancer. The study also found that patients who were male and also on high cumulative daily doses were 46 percent more likely to develop cancer than patients who were neither male or taking high cumulative daily doses.

After adjusting for age, sex and illnesses, Su and his team found that patients taking a high amount of amiodarone had nearly twice the risk of developing cancer as those taking a low amount of the drug.

"We suggest that cancer events should be routinely reported in future amiodarone trials, and further observational research is necessary," Su said in a news release. "Also, when prescribing amiodarone, doctors need to keep in mind that this medication may increase cancer risk."