Autoimmune diseases are not contraindications to immunotherapy in cancer cases associated

tycoon/epictura

Published the 24.01.2018 at 15: 10

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Keywords :

cancerimmunotherapierhumatisme inflammatory

The results of the largest single center study concerning the impact of the anti-cancer immunotherapy in patients with otherwise rheumatic diseases an autoimmune disorder. These patients have received a cancer immunotherapy with an inhibitor of the check-point. This new revolutionary class of anti-cancer has an immunologic mechanism and is given currently in various cancers (melanoma, lung, kidney, etc.). Given the immunological mechanism and the reporting of some cases of autoimmune reactions induced, the doctors were asking the question of being able to give them without risk in patients already suffering from auto-immune disease.

Reactions perfectly manageable

The study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, included 16 patients with an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, PPR, Sjogrens and lupus), and which have been secondarily a cancer for which they have received an inhibitor of the check-point. At the end of the study, only 6 patients have had an exacerbation of their rheumatic auto-immune conditions initial and the treatments put in place after the interruption of immunotherapy have enabled it to control the transient flare of the autoimmune disease.

New testing desired

These results thus suggest that patients with disease rheumatological autoimmune diseases and cancer, can benefit without major risk of new cancer treatments to a particular type of immunotherapy. Of exacerbation of their illness are possible, but they are controlled by the processing routine.

“On the basis of our observations, treatment with immunotherapy (type check point inhibitor) should be considered in some patients with a disease, rheumatological pre-existing,” says dr. Uma Thanarajasingam, lead author of the study. However, prospective trials are needed to better understand the safety of these treatments and the risk factors and biomarkers of exacerbations of autoimmune diseases in these treatments”.