TNF Inhibitors Do Not Seem to Boost Cancer-Recurrence Rates

“However,” she says, “whether or not to start a TNF inhibitor in this situation should remain an individual shared decision between physician and patient.”

“A majority of cancers observed in this study were Stage 1 or 2, and the study did not include all cancer types, so the results of this analysis may not apply to all patients,” Dr. Hyrich says. “It also does not tell us the best approach for patients with no history of cancer who develop a cancer for the first time while receiving a TNF inhibitor.”

Dr. Raaschou did not respond to a request for comments.

Reference

1. Raaschou P, Söderling J, Turesson C, et al. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and cancer recurrence in Swedish patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A nationwide population-based cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Aug 14. doi: 10.7326/M17-2812. [Epub ahead of print]