Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Gene Regulation and Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis: Radiological Findings from Dual Energy CT and PET/CT
10:28

Gene Regulation and Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis: Radiological Findings from Dual Energy CT and PET/CT

Published on: January 22, 2018

The silent progression of metastatic malignancy during the treatment with soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor

Inhye E Ahn1, Ji Hyeon Ju, Kwi Young Kang

  • 1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.

Clinical Rheumatology
|November 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Etanercept, a TNF-alpha inhibitor, may mask early signs of cancer. This case highlights a patient who developed fatal malignancy while on etanercept therapy for ankylosing spondylitis.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Rheumatology

Background:

  • Etanercept is a soluble TNF receptor that neutralizes TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin-alpha.
  • Long-term neutralization of these cytokines theoretically could impair early cancer detection.

Observation:

  • A patient with ankylosing spondylitis received etanercept for 21 months.
  • The patient developed metastatic malignancy of unknown origin.

Findings:

  • The malignancy progressed silently, leading to fatal hepatic rupture.
  • This suggests etanercept may have masked the early signs of cancer.

Implications:

  • Vigilant screening for de novo carcinoma is crucial during etanercept therapy.
  • Refined strategies for managing autoimmune diseases with biologics are needed.

More Related Videos

Transfer of Manipulated Tumor-associated Neutrophils into Tumor-Bearing Mice to Study their Angiogenic Potential In Vivo08:19

Transfer of Manipulated Tumor-associated Neutrophils into Tumor-Bearing Mice to Study their Angiogenic Potential In Vivo

Published on: July 20, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...