Skin Cancer Rist/Biologics | Arthritis Information

Skin Cancer Risk Increases with Newer Arthritis Drugs

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Several months ago I read the study completed at Harvard about skin cancer and biologics. That study prompted me to me make an appointment with a Dermatologist for a mole patrol.

Well, all my moles checked out fine, but there was a very small, shiny, pearl looking bump on my nose and I consented to a biopsy. It turned out to be basal cell carcinoma.

The Dermatologist offered me several modes of treatment. One was a cream that you apply over a 4 week period that eats your skin and the cancer, and leaves a black, weepy spot on your face. For me that wasn't an option. I did talk to my RD and he said he'd prefer that I didn't run around with an open sore on my face for 4-6 weeks. The next option was excision with just a regular suture closure. I know that the bridge of the nose is a difficult area to get a nice cosmetic closure. Ok, I know I'm vain. I also knew that if the incision turned out to be larger than planned I might end up in the plastic surgeon's office for a reconstruction of the scar. I declined that procedure also. I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon. I took my records, including photos to the appt. We settled on a Moh's excision with a small flap skin graft.

I just had surgery yesterday. The incision is larger than I expected, so my suspicions were correct. The incision and flap covers the front three quarters of my nose. I had a little Versed as anesthesia with a local to follow. Love that Versed, makes me loopey and then sleepy and then loopey again.

If you're on biologics please make an appt. to have any spots and moles looked at. The little, shiny bump on my nose started about 2 years ago and 6 months after I started Enbrel.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the world and the easiest to treat.

Whenever I've filled out a medical history in the doctor's offices I've always been able to check the NO box for cancer. Now I have to check the YES box and I'm not happy about that. Lindy

LinB39325.1898263889HI Lindy, thanks for the info, something we all need to listen to, especially those of us living in Oz, I have tried all sorts of sunblocks but I still get burned. I am going to buy a shade for my moility scooter as I spend a lot of time outdoors, hope you heal soon Lindy, cheers Jane. From HealthDay.....

RA Drugs Linked to Slight Skin Cancer Risk
But the medications' benefits outweigh the downside, experts

People taking rheumatoid arthritis drugs such as etanercept (Enbrel) or infliximab (Remicade) may be at a slightly increased risk for skin cancer, researchers report.

However, the risk is probably not significant enough to outweigh the benefits of these drugs, the researchers said.

These so-called biologic treatments work by blocking tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which previous studies had found to be linked with increased risk of skin, lung and blood cancers.

"The risk of skin cancer is marginally increased among people with rheumatoid arthritis," said lead researcher Dr. Frederick Wolfe, a clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. "But it's nothing that anybody should be worried about," he added.

For the study, Wolfe and his colleagues collected data on 13,001 patients with rheumatoid arthritis included in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and the U.S. National Cancer Institute SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results). The researchers found a total of 623 cases of skin cancer and 537 cases of other cancers.

They also found that anti-TNF-alpha medications were associated with a slight increased risk of skin cancer. But, they did not find any increased risk for other cancers, according to the report in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=607735

Lynn

Hi Lynn, that's it in a nutshell. The only thing that I disagree with is the statement made by Dr. Frederick Wolf that it's nothing that anybody should be worried about. That's a rather cavalier statement coming from a physician. Of course it's something that one should acknowledge and if there are concerns then one should proceed and seek medical treatment if required. We're on medications and treatment plans that alter our system a great deal. Everyone needs to be aware and sometimes concerned (worried) about certain symptoms that develop.

I developed skin cancer after being on biologics. No one can tell me if it's directly related to Enbrel or if it's from sun damage and I would have developed skin cancer irregardless. I'm not going to stop my biologic because of this. Remicade and MXT have given me a quality of life that I haven't had in years.

Everyone needs to be aware of the "slight" risk of skin cancer related to the biologics. Thanks for posting the article. There's no such thing as too much information. Lindy

Thanks for that info and glad that the surgery went well. Now do you have a greater risk now that it could come up in other places or are the drs not worried about it? Oh and your not vain, when it is in a place that is right up front where everyone can see it I think a lot of people would want the same thing.

I just bought me some 30+ sunblock for my holiday in a couple of weeks. And my daughter is crocheting me a cool hat with a wide brim. I've never really had to be careful in the sun but now I'm not into taking chances. I guess I need to get an appointment with my dermatologist to have a body check. I just got referrals today for (another) colonoscopy and gastroscopy, and to get my eyes checked (I'm on plaquenil). Seems everytime I turn around I have another appointment to go to. I also had hand, neck and knee x-rays today.

Until last year I always ticked NO for family history of cancer but that changed when my mum, aunt and cousin were all diagnosed with breast cancer within 3 weeks. I don't want to add me to the list.

My GP is a cancer specialist. He is one of the best in our area. I was so lucky to get him for my regular doctor.
He checks every mole on my body every appointment. Good job doc.

Lin,

Don't be too worried about how it's going to look. I've have some rather large incisions over time and am always surprised at how much better it looks after the area calms down and starts to heal. Some are even not noticible to anybody else but me.

Pip

I think skin cancer is vastly overlooked in general. My father is the picture of good health, he's ever so lucky like that. Never gets a cold, never gets the flu, always going going going. I've seen him in bed sick so few times in my life, I can count it on one hand. He wears sun screen and a hat diligently when he golfs. And the poor guy STILL ended up with some form of skin cancer on his face. The removed several spots last year (4 or 5, I believe) Lucky for him they are very treatable and were small, didn't require much to "fix" him, to make him look normal.

I guess I just wanted to share that so you'll make your family members wear the sun screen and look for unusual spots on their skin as well!! Anyone can get this!!! I have already had 2 moles removed on suspicion, lucky for me they were just moles.

So everyone play it safe!!!!

This is something on my list of things I need to do soon! I don't take biologics, but I have a strong family history of skin cancer.

I know so many people in my family who have had it. My mother has already had about 6 cancers removed, several on her face and her last one was on the back of her shoulder. That one was bad enough they had to do radiation treatments to the area around it after the site healed from the surgery.

When I think back to the way I used to cook myself at the beach, greased up with baby oil and iodine, laying on a foil-like tanning blanket, it kinda makes me worry!

I hope you heal quickly Lindy!

OMG. Baby oil and iodine...I had forgot about that. Soooo long ago. [QUOTE=LinB]