[Evolution of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with immunosuppressive agents between 1965 and 1973]

The authors report the results of a study of 139 of their patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, treated with chlorambucil of cyclophosphamide between 1965 and December 1973, with an observation period of 4 to 12 years. 8 patients were lost to follow-up, 38 died and 93 were reexamined. In this series 7 deaths were attributed to hemolymphoreticulopathy of various cytological types; 6 deaths were due to visceral cancer and 2 others to cancer of the tonsils. They confirm that such treatments increase the risk of hemopathy but apparently not the risk of visceral cancer. The risk was not a function of the total dose of the drug administered since no neoplasia was observed in the 25 subjects who received the highest doses. The addition of chlorambucil to cyclophosphamide seems to increase the risk of hemopathy. It was noticed that the 7 cases of hemolymphoreticulopathy occured after 60 years.