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Malignancy and Janus Kinase Inhibition

Padmapriya Sivaraman1, Stanley B Cohen1

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Rheumatology, Presbyterian Hospital, 8200 Walnut Hill Ln, Dallas, TX 75231, USA; Metroplex Clinical Research Center, 8144 Walnut Hill Ln, #800, Dallas, TX 75231, USA.

Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America
|November 29, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with tofacitinib show similar malignancy risks compared to the general population. This includes rates of lymphoma and lung cancer, indicating a comparable safety profile to other RA treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients face a higher risk of malignancies than the general population.
  • Biologics and oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have transformed RA treatment.
  • Understanding the specific cancer risks associated with RA therapies is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the incidence of malignancies in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with tofacitinib.
  • To compare cancer risk in tofacitinib users with the general population and other RA treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study comparing malignancy rates.
  • Analysis of tofacitinib users versus general population data.
  • Comparison with rates associated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics.

Main Results:

  • The incidence of overall malignancy (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers) was similar in tofacitinib users compared to the general population.
  • Rates of specific malignancies like lymphomas and lung cancer were not elevated in tofacitinib users.
  • Cancer rates in RA patients on tofacitinib were comparable to those on other conventional synthetic DMARDs and biologic DMARDs.

Conclusions:

  • Tofacitinib treatment for rheumatoid arthritis does not appear to increase the overall risk of malignancy beyond that associated with RA itself.
  • The observed malignancy rates in tofacitinib users are consistent with the expected risks within the RA patient population.
  • Tofacitinib demonstrates a comparable safety profile regarding malignancy risk to other established RA therapies.
Keywords:
Jak inhibitorsLung cancerLymphomaMalignancyRheumatoid arthritisTofacitinib

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