16 Nov Juvenile Arthritis: TNF Inhibitor Use Doesn’t Appear To Increase Malignancy Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Timothy Beukelman
Timothy Beukelman, MD, MSCE
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Rheumatology and
Division of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2009 the US FDA issued a boxed warning about malignancies reported in children treated with TNF inhibitors but their analysis did not account for a possible malignancy risk from other medications of from the Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) disease process itself.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: We observed a 2.4 fold increased rate of malignancy among all children with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis compared to the general population. We observed a 2.9 fold increased rate of malignancy following use of TNF inhibitors compared to the general population.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: The diagnosis of JIA was associated with a subsequent increased rate of malignancy irrespective of treatment. Malignancy rates following treatment with TNF inhibitors were similar to rates among JIA patients who did not receive TNF inhibitors.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: While not a fully conclusive study because of the rarity of childhood cancer, these result should diminish concerns about the risk of malignancy due to TNF inhibitors in clinical practice. Continued study of the risk of malignancy with long-term TNF inhibitor use is needed.
Citation: Abstract presented at the November 2016 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
TNF Inhibitor Use Doesn’t Appear to Increase Malignancy Risk in Children with Juvenile Arthritis
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Last Updated on November 16, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD