Anti-TNF therapy and cancer

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is implicated in the control of tumoral growth in addition to the systemic inflammatory response. TNF blockage produces a comprensible reservation in patients with risk factors for cancer. No clear evidence for this came out from pre-clinical or clinical trials. Biosafety registries established in the post-marketing phase have concluded that, in general, cancer cases have not increased over what is expected in a population with RA exposed to the prolongued use of anti-TNF drugs. A meta analysis of clinical trials which used infliximab and adalimumab for RA treatment showed an increase of up to three times the risk of developing cancer, but this dissapeared after correcting for time. Biobadaser shows evidence that support long-term safety. In the long-term, and if the inflammatory disease activity is truly under control, the risk of developing cancer is the same as with any other patient.(C) 2008 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.