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Cancer found to be relatively infrequent event among patients with juvenile-onset arthritis
Cancer was a relatively infrequent outcome among patients with juvenile-onset arthritis, according to study results.
Using six North American juvenile-onset arthritis cohorts, researchers linked 5,294 patients (68% girls) with juvenile-onset arthritis to regional cancer registries to detect incident cancers after cohort entry, defined as first date seen in the pediatric rheumatology clinic. Researchers obtained the expected number of malignancies by multiplying the person-years observed by the geographically matched age-, sex- and calendar year-specific cancer rates.
Results showed nine invasive cancers occurred during follow-up compared with 10.9 expected cancers. Overall, researchers found three of the cancers were hematological. Six patients with cancer were exposed to disease-modifying drugs, and five of these patients had also been exposed to biological agents, according to results.
Researchers found overall cancer standardized incidence ratios of 0.77 in girls and 0.97 in boys. Results showed standardized incidence ratios of 1.61 for overall cancers and 1.91 for hematological cancers among the younger age group when analyzed by person-time, while analysis by patient-years in the group of patients aged 20 years or older showed an overall cancer standardized incidence ratio of 0.30 and no hematological cancers. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.