Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Arthritis Foundation Arthritis Today 19 May 2008 RA and Lymphoma Having rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk of a cancer called lymphoma. If you have RA, here's what you need to know about the arthritis-cancer connection. By Ross Flanigan Maureen Lengel, 52, has been through a lot since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her teens: several surgeries, including hip replacements, and an assortment of other arthritis treatments. The last thing she needs on top of already dealing with a serious chronic disease is having to worry about an even scarier health problem -- cancer. But worry is there, lurking in the back of her mind. " I know that people with RA have a higher risk of developing cancer, " says Lengel, who keeps up on the latest news related to her disease by reading, sharing and discussing information with her doctor. The worry first set in for Lengel in the mid-1980s, when she realized the methotrexate she was taking for her RA was the very same drug her friends mother was receiving for breast cancer. She did a little research and learned that higher doses of the drug kill abnormal cells in cancer treatment, whereas the lower doses used for RA merely quench the abnormal behavior of cells. ********************************************************* Read the entire article here: http://www.arthritis.org/ra-ra-and-lymphoma.php -- Not an MD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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