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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Ian Griffiths
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Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of certain solid cancers, in particular lung cancer, compared to the general population. Treatment with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (TNFi) may further enhance this risk. Objectives To compare the risk of solid cancer in patients with RA treated with TNFi to that in patients treated with non-biologic (synthetic) disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (sDMARDs). Methods Patients with a physician diagnosis of RA enrolled in the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register, a national prospective cohort study established in 2001 to monitor the long-term safety of TNFi, were followed via record linkage with the national cancer registries until first solid cancer, death, for 5 years, or until 2011. Rates of solid cancers in 11 767 patients without prior cancer who received TNFi were compared to those in 3249 patients without prior cancer treated with sDMARDs. Results 427 solid cancers were reported in 52 549 patient-years follow-up for the TNFi group (81 (95% CI 74 to 89) per 10 000 patient-years) and 136 cancers were reported in 11 672 patient-years in the sDMARD cohort (117 (95% CI 98 to 138) per 10 000 patientyears). After adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics there was no difference in risk of solid cancer for TNFi compared to sDMARD treated patients: HR 0.83 (95% CI 0.64 to 1.07). There was no difference in the relative risk of cancer for any of the individual TNFi drugs. Conclusions The addition of TNFi to sDMARD does not alter the risk of cancer in RA patients selected for TNFi in the UK.
Author(s): Mercer LK, Lunt M, Low ALS, Dixon WG, Watson KD, Symmons DPM, Hyrich KL, Maiden N, Price T, Hopkinson N, O'Reilly S, Hordon L, Griffiths I, Porter D, Madhok R, Hassell A, Cooper RG, Choy E, Walsh D, Emery P, Knight S, Bruce I, Taggart A, Scott D, Thompson P, McCrae F, Goodfellow R, Kitas G, Jubb R, Abernethy R, Green S, Sanders P, Coulson A, Harrison B, Bukhari M, Klimiuk P
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Year: 2015
Volume: 74
Issue: 6
Pages: 1087-1093
Print publication date: 01/06/2015
Online publication date: 31/03/2014
Acceptance date: 01/03/2014
ISSN (print): 0003-4967
ISSN (electronic): 1468-2060
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
URL: http://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204851
DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204851
PubMed id: 24685910
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