Most Immunosuppressive Drugs Not Linked to Risk for Cancer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 28, 2023 -- For patients with ocular inflammatory disease (OID), short-term therapy with commonly used immunosuppressive drug classes and many drugs is not associated with an increased risk for cancer incidence, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in BMJ Oncology.
Jeanine M. Buchanich, Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients from 10 U.S. OID subspecialty practices. Time-dependent exposure to drug classes and drugs was evaluated. By linkage to 12 state cancer registries, cancer incidence was ascertained.
The cancer incidence cohort included 10,872 individuals at risk for incident cancer and residing in one of the 12 states covered. With median follow-up of 10 years, the researchers identified 812 primary cancers. After adjustment for covariates, there were no associations for tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, antimetabolite, calcineurin inhibitor, or alkylating agent classes with significant increases in cancer. In the systemic inflammatory disease (SID)-including cohort, significantly reduced hazards were seen for adalimumab and chlorambucil, while increased hazards were seen for tacrolimus and etanercept in the non-SID cohort; in both, reduced hazards were seen for methotrexate. No association with overall cancer incidence was seen for other immunosuppressive drugs.
"Immunosuppressants are widely used and transformative for care of patients with inflammatory diseases, but the potential concern that they carry a cancer risk has forced people to make difficult decisions without enough information. Alleviating that concern with use for inflammatory diseases will help people make the treatment decision that's right for them," Buchanich said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2023
Read this next
Second Tumors Are Rare After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy
FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- Second tumors are rarely seen after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a study published in the June 13 issue of the New England...
Health Care Spending Growth Projected to Outpace GDP to 2032
THURSDAY, June 13, 2024 -- Health care spending growth is projected to outpace that of the gross domestic product (GDP) during the coming decade, according to a study published...
Generation X Experiencing Larger Per-Capita Increases in Cancer Incidence
WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 -- Generation X is experiencing larger per-capita increases in the incidence of cancers than Baby Boomers, according to a study published online June 10...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.