Rheumatoid arthritis patients who take the biologic drugs Remicade, Humira, and Enbrel do not appear to have an increased risk for developing cancer in the first few years of use, researchers in Sweden report.
The study is one of the largest and longest population-based investigations ever into the cancercausing potential of the drugs, known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.
TNF inhibitors were introduced a decade ago, and they represent a significant advance in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and other diseases of the immune system who do not respond to traditional treatments.
Concerns that the drugs may cause cancer emerged soon after they were introduced, and the research examining the question has been mixed.
The new findings should reassure patients, but questions remain about the short-term and long-term safety of TNF-blocking drugs, rheumatologist Eric Matteson, MD, of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., tells WebMD.
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