Prescription of targeted therapies in patient with a history of cancer - 08/10/26
Highlights |
• | Chronic inflammation inherent to inflammatory arthritis is a major driver of cancer risk, underscoring the importance of effective disease control. |
• | In patients without prior malignancy, most targeted therapies do not increase overall cancer risk, although caution is warranted with JAK inhibitors and abatacept. |
• | Observational data show no increased risk of new or recurrent cancer with TNF inhibitors compared with conventional DMARDs in patients with a history of solid tumors. |
• | Initiation of TNF inhibitors within five years after cancer diagnosis is not associated with higher cancer recurrence or mortality. |
• | Evidence for other targeted therapies in patients with prior cancer remains limited, highlighting important knowledge gaps. |
• | The 2024 EULAR Points to Consider support individualized, multidisciplinary decision-making without a mandatory waiting period after cancer remission. |
• | Future research must address long-term safety of newer targeted therapies and develop personalized cancer risk stratification tools for patients with inflammatory arthritis. |
Abstract |
Targeted therapies (TTs), including biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs, have transformed the management of inflammatory arthritis (IA). However, their use in patients with a history of cancer raises concerns due to the role of immunity in tumor surveillance and the lack of randomized controlled trial data in this population. Recent observational studies and systematic reviews, including over 15,000 patient-years of follow-up, show no increased risk of new or recurrent malignancy with TNF inhibitors compared with csDMARDs. Rituximab appears safe in patients with prior lymphoma, while caution remains warranted for JAK inhibitors and abatacept given potential safety signals observed in other contexts. Importantly, TNF inhibitors initiated within five years of a cancer diagnosis were not associated with higher recurrence risk. The 2024 EULAR Points to Consider provide updated guidance, recommending individualized therapeutic strategies based on cancer type, remission status, and comorbidities, with close collaboration between rheumatologists and oncologists. While current evidence is reassuring for TNF inhibitors, data on other TTs remain limited. Future research should focus on long-term safety, inclusion of broader IA subtypes, and development of personalized cancer risk stratification tools.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Inflammatory arthritis, Targeted therapies, Biologic DMARDs, History of cancer, EULAR points to consider, Therapeutic strategies
Plan
Vol 93 - N° 5
Article 106068- octobre 2026 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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