Rheumatoid Arthritis May Affect Cancer Survival Rate

Previous studies have indicated that patients with rheumatoid arthritis have double the risk of death from disease compared to the general population. Conclusions about whether rheumatoid arthritis patients are more likely to die from cancer than the general population have been less clear. In the March 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers reported on the first study which investigated whether rheumatoid arthritis patients who develop cancer have a decreased survival rate.

According to the report, researchers from the United Kingdom followed 2,105 patients with recent onset inflammatory polyarthritis (many of the cases turn into rheumatoid arthritis over time) over a 10-year period to analyze the occurrence and prevalence of cancer. There were 123 cases of cancer detected including bone, lung, breast, prostate, urinary, colon, brain, as well as cancers of the digestive, respiratory, and central nervous system, blood cells, and tumors. Non-melanotic skin cancers were excluded. Researchers concluded that overall the incidence of cancer was not increased in inflammatory polyarthritis patients compared to the general population but the risk of blood cell cancer was increased in the inflammatory polyarthritis group (expected given the link between rheumatoid arthritis and lymphoma).

When the number of deaths was compared between the two groups (patients with cancer and inflammatory polyarthritis vs. patients with cancer and no history of inflammatory polyarthritis) there was a surprising 40 percent increase in mortality among patients who had inflammatory/rheumatoid arthritis and cancer compared to cancer. Researchers concluded the 5-year cancer survival rate in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis and cancer is "substantially reduced" when compared with the general population even after adjusting for age, sex, and site of the cancer. To summarize, overall cancer incidence is not increased but risk of cancer survival appears to be affected.

Related Resources:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis 101: Free E-Course Newsletter
• 10 Things You Should Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis Does Not Increase Lung Cancer Risk
• Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments Do Not Increase Breast Cancer Risk
• Biologic Drugs Used to Treat RA May Not Increase Cancer Risk
• RA Drugs Linked to Increased Risk of Infections and Cancer

Join the Discussion:

• Join Us in Our Arthritis Forum

_{Photo © A.D.A.M.}