Unresolved issue: should patients with RA and a history of malignancy receive anti-TNF therapy?

摘要

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is widely used for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional therapy. But does anti-TNF therapy increase the risk of new or recurrent malignancy in patients with previous malignancy and, if so, should these individuals avoid the use of anti-TNF therapy? To date, no study has conclusively addressed this question. To help clinicians gauge the risks and benefits of initiating anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA and pre-existing malignancy, we evaluated the existing literature and searched the FDA website for post marketing data on anti-TNF therapy and malignancy risk.