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Chronic Bowel Disease Drugs Linked to Skin Cancer Risk

Posted 23 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 – Some patients with inflammatory bowel disease may be at increased risk for skin cancer due to their use of immunosuppressant drugs to treat the intestinal disorder, according to the results of two new studies. The studies, published in the November issue of the journal Gastroenterology, noted that immunosuppressants are commonly used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Currently, there are no specific recommendations for skin cancer screening in IBD patients. In one study, French researchers led by Dr. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, of University Hospital of Nancy, found that both past and present use of a widely used class of immunosuppressants called thiopurines significantly increased the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in irritable bowel disease patients. "The increased risk of skin cancer that we found in our study was observed in all patients, ... Read more

Lialda (Mesalamine) Now Approved in U.S. for Maintenance of Remission of Ulcerative Colitis

Posted 18 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

Lialda has been indicated for the induction of remission in patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis and is now also approved for the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis PHILADELPHIA, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Shire plc (LSE: SHP; NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lialda® (mesalamine) Delayed Release Tablets for the maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis. This approval is based on results from a six-month study demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of Lialda in maintaining endoscopic remission in adult patients. This approval follows the previous indication of Lialda approved by the FDA in 2007 for the induction of remission in patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. "At Shire, we strive to create ... Read more

Related support groups: Ulcerative Colitis, Lialda, Ulcerative Colitis -- Maintenance, Mesalamine

People With Bowel Disease at Higher Risk of Blood Clot in Lungs, Legs

Posted 22 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 22 – People with inflammatory bowel disease have double the risk of developing a potentially deadly blood clot (venous thromboembolism) in the legs or lungs as do people in the general public, a new study finds. Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and other problems. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) – which includes deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis – affects about two in every 1,000 people a year in the United States and other developed nations. Researchers compared the number of new cases of VTE diagnosed between 1980 and 2007 in nearly 50,000 adults and children with IBD and more than 477,000 members of the general public. After they factored in known VTE risk factors such as a broken bone, cancer, surgery and ... Read more

Drug May Help Colitis Patients Avoid Surgery

Posted 16 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Oct. 2 – Treatment with the drug infliximab (Remicade) reduced the need for surgery in ulcerative colitis patients by almost half, a new study found. Ulcerative colitis causes chronic inflammation of the colon and often leads to surgical removal of the colon (colectomy). This study included 728 patients who received either an inactive placebo or infliximab for 46 weeks. After one year of follow-up, the researchers found that "treatment with infliximab reduced the need for colectomy by 41 percent compared to patients treated with placebo," lead author and Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. William Sandborn, said in a Mayo Clinic news release. The study appears in the October issue of the journal Gastroenterology. "One of the most feared outcomes for ulcerative colitis patients is surgical removal of the colon. Our research hopes to provide other treatment solutions for patients ... Read more

Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Might Increase Cancer Risk

Posted 16 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 19 – The use of thiopurine drugs to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increases the risk of cancers related to viral infection, according to a new study. IBD includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Thiopurine drugs are used to suppress the immune system in order to maintain remission in IBD patients. For this study, French researchers analyzed data on 19,486 IBD patients (60 percent with Crohn's and 40 percent with ulcerative colitis or unclassified IBD) who were followed for a median of 35 months. At the start of the study, 30 percent of patients were taking thiopurines, 14 percent had discontinued them, and 56 percent had never received thiopurines. During the study, 23 patients developed malignant lymphoproliferative disorders (LD) – cancers that are associated with viral infection, particularly those linked to Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection. Of the ... Read more

New Clues for Treating Ulcerative Colitis

Posted 16 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, June 16 – A chemical that may trigger remission in people with ulcerative colitis has been identified by Canadian researchers. The team at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that ulcerative colitis patients in long-term remission have elevated levels of prostaglandin D2. Previous research in rats found that this chemical plays an important role in healing and remission of the disease. "The levels of prostaglandin D2 were only elevated in those patients in long-term remission, and that suggests it is a key factor in preventing new episodes of ulcerative colitis," John Wallace, director of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster, said in a university news release. Wallace, a professor of medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, said the finding may help lead to a new treatment for ulcerative colitis and possibly to ... Read more

Inflammatory Bowel Ups Risk for Blood Clots

Posted 9 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 – People with active inflammatory bowel disease are much more likely to develop blood clots than people without the condition, a new study suggests. And that may make preventive drug treatment necessary, it adds. The study, done in the United Kingdom, compared data on 13,756 people who had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with 71,672 people who did not have it. None of the people were hospitalized. Between November 1987 and July 2001, 304 people developed a blood clot (venous thromboembolism). Overall, people with IBD were found to be 3.4 times more likely to develop a blood clot and eight times more likely at the time of an IBD flare. But the risk rose to 16 times higher if a flare occurred when the person was not hospitalized. The study was published online Feb. 8 in The Lancet. The researchers said the findings suggest that active IBD might be a far greater risk ... Read more

Bowel Disease Treatment May Raise Skin Cancer Risk

Posted 2 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 26 – Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who are being treated with immunosuppressive medications may be at increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancer, a new U.S. study says. Researchers analyzed data on 26,403 Crohn's disease patients and 26,974 patients with ulcerative colitis in order to evaluate how the use of immunosuppressive and biologic medications to treat IBD affected non-melanoma skin cancer risk. The study found that the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer was higher in IBD patients than in a control group. Recent use (within 90 days) of any immunosuppressive medication was associated with greater risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (adjusted odds ratio 3.28), as was recent use of the thiopurine class of immunosuppressive medications (adjusted odds ratio 3.56) and recent use of biologic medications in Crohn's disease patients (adjusted odds ratio 2.07). ... Read more

Gene Discovery Gives Clues to Crohn's Disease, Colitis

Posted 1 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 – People with painful, chronic bowel conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis could see a glimmer of hope from new research. Scientists say they've spotted a genetic flaw that could drive a rare childhood form of colitis, and the finding might have implications for the broader range of illnesses collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Genetic analysis of nine children with a severe form of early-onset colitis found mutations of two genes producing cell receptors for interleukin-10, a protein that controls the body's inflammatory response, according to a report published online Nov. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In one case, a bone marrow transplant eliminated a child's disease, the report said. About one million Americans have been diagnosed with IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions ... Read more

Fatty Acids in Diet Linked to Bowel Disease Risk

Posted 23 Jul 2009 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, July 23 – Consuming too much of a common polyunsaturated fatty acid could be a contributing factor in an estimated 30 percent of all cases of ulcerative colitis, researchers say. In a new study, participants who had the highest intake of linoleic acid had more than double the chance of developing the painful inflammation and blistering of the bowels as did those whose diet contained the least of the acid. The report is published online in Gut. Red meat and some cooking oils and margarines are among the many dietary sources of linoleic acid. However, the research also found that consuming lots of omega 3 fatty acids can cut the chance of developing ulcerative colitis by more than three quarters. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, flaxseed and certain dairy products are rich in omega 3, also known as docosahexanoic acid. The European study, which looked at the dietary ... Read more

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