arthritis (RA) and malignancy in the era of widespread use of methotrexate

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Oncology & Hematology

Cancer Risk 50% Greater in Treated RA Patients Than in General Population

http://bit.ly/mhSS1L

" Although the link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and malignancy has been

previously identified - particularly with respect to a higher risk of

non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) - these new data from the British Society for

Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR) are from a more-contemporary

population of patients who have been treated in the era of widespread use of

methotrexate (MTX) and other nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic

drugs (DMARDs). "

Of 148 malignancies occurring in 10,447 patient-years, 128 were solid

cancers - including melanoma, and lung, breast, and colorectal cancers - and

20 were hematologic - including NHL and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The median time

from enrollment in the register to cancer diagnosis was 1.3 years, with 52%

of patients dying as a result of incident cancer.

Comment:

RA not responsive to NSAIDS is a debilitating disease. A 50% increase in

incidence of second cancers is relative to risk of cancers in the general

population. If I have it right, the actual rate of occurrence in the

population studied was 148/10,447 --a little more than 1% . 48% higher than

rate in the general population over 1.3 years.

Patients Against Lymphoma

www.Lymphomation.org

Evidence-based information on lymphoma, independent of health industry

funding