6/30/11 Two new studies have found no link between an increased risk of cancer and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, or anti-TNFs, a type of biologic drug.
Biologics, including anti-TNFs, work by interfering with parts of the immune system to decrease inflammation, a central feature of rheumatoid arthritis, or RA. Because of this, there has been concern that anti-TNFs and other biologics may increase patients’ cancer risk as well as their risk for serious infections.
In the first study, a meta-analysis published in the June 2011 Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers reviewed six trials that included a total of 2,183 RA patients taking anti-TNFs and 1,236 taking methotrexate. The patients all had early-stage RA and had not been previously treated with methotrexate or other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs. The duration of the trials were between six and 12 months.
The analysis found that 19 people taking at least one dose of an anti-TNF, including adalimumab, or Humira; etanercept, or Enbrel; and infliximab, or Remicade, developed a malignancy compared with 10 patients taking methotrexate. Researchers concluded there was no significant difference in risk.
The second study, presented in May at the 2011 European League Against Rheumatism conference in London, looked at more than 13,600 Danish patients, the majority of whom had RA, from the DANBIO registry, a nationwide database that includes all rheumatic patients receiving biological drugs. From January 2000 to the end of 2008, almost 5,600 of them had started anti-TNF treatment.
The researchers cross-referenced data from DANBIO registry with the Danish Cancer Registry and found that 181 patients ever treated with an anti-TNF developed cancer compared to 132 patients who had not taken an anti-TNF. The researchers concluded there was no statistical difference in cancer risk. After further analyzing the data, the researchers also concluded that the risk of cancer did not rise with longer-term use of anti-TNFs.
“This is a reassuring reinforcement of previous data,” says Daniel Furst, MD, professor of rheumatology at University of California, Los Angeles.
Research from 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the likelihood of malignancies was greater in people taking higher doses of anti-TNF medications than those receiving lower doses.
I, like Janet feel that my current Quality of Life is most important. I would rather use prayer and faith in God who I strongly feel can change the risk factor challenge.
I am a school teacher and love my the calling God has placed on life to help others. I love volunteering as a Girl Scout leader and helping to distribute food during the summer at the local Outreach Center. I love being the Christian Education Dtr and Sunday School teacher in my church. And last but not least I enjoying the time I have with my children and grandchildren and extended family. Bible study is how I begin my day. My desire is to live one day at a time with the use of my all of my limbs. I am able to do this with God and grateful that the Enbrel and methotrexate has stopped the progression of joint damage. I exercise, watch my diet that may cause inflammation, drink plenty of water which helps decrease the side effects, and for pain I pray. (It works, the power of prayer does work.) I refuse to take more medicine.
Cancer is in the tiny side-effects lettering on many of these drugs, and you can accept this as necessary for the improvement in your arthritis UNTIL you get cancer (which I did in 5/09), UNTIL your life is turned upside down by it and by chemo (5/09 to 12/09) and by ultimately having to face your own mortality a little earlier than you planned.
I will not take TNF blockers again. I have reverted to MTX which I tolerated well, and some natural alternatives. I think this is an option you will not hear often from any rheumatologist but it IS an option. Consider it.
Like you, my hair is dry so I do not need to wash it frequently. Yes, you can apply the Nioxin Scalp Therapy to any areas where you want to re-grow hair. Give it time and you will be back on this website telling others! Good luck!
Sheridan
I do know that I have been on both Mtx and prednisone treatments that did not help. Then Cimzia was added to my treatments. The prednisone just made me hyper and not able to sleep. I was showing no signs of improvement. Then I went on a series of Antibiotic treatments for over a month. I will say that I noticed some help with them but then the moment I went off of them to retest, I excelled downhill very quickly and became worse than ever. My primary joints affected have been my left knee and my neck. Not your typical RA.
With my recent test results showing no sign of Lyme or any fungus/infection, I have been placed on Embrel, Plaquinil, and a very low dose of Prednisone. It has been night and day for me. I have my life back for the most part. I recently had to cut out my Embrel because of a cold that I had developed. I could notice a difference in my pain after just missing 2 weeks of Embrel. I am not trying to sell this drug as I hate the fact that I have to take drugs to live, I am just saying that whatever the case may be, I have had so much relief.
My goals are to be able to get back to doing Yoga regularly while comfortable and to get off of Prednisone all together.
As far as TNF's and Cancer, with all of the research that I have done on my own, I have found that inflamation in itself can increase your risks for developing Cancers. That is why it is so important to get the inflamation and the causes for inflamation under control. I know that everyone in my family that has passed away has passed from some type of Cancer. I look at life that I may develop it either way. I know that I have a 3 year old baby girl who I need to be able to take care of and enjoy right now! I am continuing to try to make diet changes in cutting out those inflamatory culprits and I am going to continue with omegas. and always move, that is key.
We could pass away at any moment from anything, just live everyday as you have it and enjoy every second.
God Bless
It saved my live.
No other similar drug works for me.
The new drug company I was required to switch to last year told me there was supplemental help thru the Enbrel Liven Program. I believe you can find their phone number on line. Since I've contacted them a year+ ago they have helped me so much that I find it hard to believe. The fist 6 months they paid my entire co-pay, the next 6 I only paid $10.00 & they covered the rest. Now they've switched me to a different program which is paying the entire co-pay again. I don't know how long this will last.
I don't know why our MD's don't tell us about this. I don't really know what the requirements are to qualify but I have Medicare & a Blue Cross Blue Shield supplemental plan that covers all but my co-pay for drugs and I had no problems getting this extra help. I think I was told they'll cover up to $4000 every 6 months so go make that phone call now!
And for goodness sake seek help if you are depressed, take your meds, and if you're alone get a pet to love. I know it's hard but we can't give up or the damn RA wins!
Does anyone have suggestions how to cope with the hair loss. I have had RA for 5 years and I am 69.
Right now, my medical co-pays are very high, including my private insurance coverage...but, at least I am able to be on Remicade. What lies ahead for me?
I absolutely agree that these drugs bring a much higher quality of life and I am willing to live with the risks. I would rather live for 15 years with being able to enjoy my gardening and grandchildren than to live for 20 years but not be able to move out of a chair or bed. I have had RA for 15 years. The first 7 I wasn't on Enbrel and I was miserable. The inflammation and pain were awful. My insurance company finally gave the O.K. for Enbrel and it changed my life. I still have some problems due to the damage done in the first 7 years but the quality of my life has increased considerably. I can do some gardening and have my grandchildren stay for weekends and enjoy them. My only concern now is once I go off my insurance and go on Medicare what Enbrel will cost. I feel for those who insurance companies won't pay for it or they can't afford it.
they work but not 100% and I am willing to keep taking them because otherwise I fear I'd be a total invalid.
I want them safe; I want them to work.
I want them to not cost as much as they do even though I have decent experience.
I certainly don't want them to increase my cancer risk; but I keep on taking them.
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