Popular medications for rheumatoid arthritis, which blocks protein associated with inflammation, as it seems, does not increase the risk for cancer, say Spanish researchers. Medications in use since 1998. Medications known as TNF-blockers have the effect on the immune system by blocking activity of inflammatory proteins TNF-a, tumor necrosis factor. These are drugs in use since 1998, but some studies showed that their use increases the risk for cancer - particularly lung cancer and lymphoma - by reduce the reaction of immune response system. - Despite the fears, blocking TNF-a does not increase the risk of cancer - said Dr. Loreto Carmon from Spain foundation for rheumatology in Madrid.
Research on data from the medical board
Carmon, who presented his research at the annual meeting of the American Association of Rheumatologists, which is held in San Francisco, used data from the medical board from two Spanish registries of patients. In one were the data on 4500 persons who had taken medication since 2001, until 2007, while the second had data on 800 patients from the period of 1999. – 2005, who have not taken medication. Researchers have discovered 70 cases of cancer in the group who took medication and 29 cases of cancer in the group who did not take medication. Because the groups were in different sizes and that they encompassed different periods, scientists have made a calculation that did not show a statistical difference in risk for cancer.
Respondents are not sorted by age, sex or other health risks Dr. Eric Matteson of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, who has not participated in the research, estimated that the research shows that the overall rate of risk for cancer, if it exists at all, are still very small. But he cautioned on several study limitations, the main is that subjects are not pre-sorted by age, sex and other health problems. Among the TNF-blockers are infliximab or Remicade, Humira or adalimumab, etanercept or Enbrel and Cimzia or certolizumab pegol. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and often affects young people, cause pain, swelling and stiffness. The disease hit 20 million peop worldwide.
