Rheumatoid arthritis and previous cancer

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Hi, as a ra sufferer I know there are loads of drugs you can't take if uve had cancer in the past... What I'm trying to find out is if anyone that has had cancer in the past has been given any ra drugs

.my mum has her first appointment coming up and all I know is she can't take anything that I've had in the past

Thx

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4 Replies

  • Posted

    Rheumatoid is a dynamic disease that morphs....this is why a medication that helps today may not help tomorrow.

    By observing a person's reaction to a drug, we can learn a lot about the rheumatoid in that person's body...Both Enbrel and Humira are TNF, tumor necrosis factor. Individuals whose rheumatoid responds well to either Enbrel or Humira are said to have TNF driven rheumatoid. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20. For those who respond favorably to Rituximab, we say their rheumatoid is CD20 driven.

    Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis can be successfully treated with an NSAID...non steriodal anti inflammatory drug...such as Orudis, Feldene, Naprosin, Naproxin, Motrin, Indomethacin, Butazolidin to name just a few.

    Steriods...not to be confused with anabolic steroids...prednisone, budesonide, methylprednisolone are three of many steroids. Many decades of study have taught us to use steroids judiciously because steroids cause unwanted side effects such as bone density loss. Today, steroids are prescribed using a burst approach...high dose fast start, immediate graduated decrease, off.

    DMARDs & Biologics... disease modifying anti rheumatic drug...

    This class of medications modify, literally change the way rheumatoid behaves... Methotrexate (now the gold standard), hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, Orencia, Remicade are all typically oral.

    Rituximab is delivered by infusion.

    Enbrel in the mid nineties was the first DMARD. I still remember watching the television news that night with tears running down my face. Those of you who face rheumatoid today should never face the full fury of this disease. Nevertheless, matching a sufferer with the best medication to defeat their rheumatoid continues to take time. As the class of medication used increases, so too do the possible adverse side effects. Be patient and work with your rheumatologist, only a board certified rheumatologist, to fine tune a treatment effective against your rheumatoid.

    54 years of severe juvenile rheumatoid has left my body permanently damaged and deformed because medicine did not have the wealth of knowledge it has today.

    I am grateful for all of the analgesics, NSAIDs, and steroids that made it possible for DMARDs & biologics to modify even my severe juvenile rheumatoid. Today my JRA relatively quiet. And once my rheumatoid quieted down, I forgot about the really tough times it raged.

    I have taken all of these and more...I have had both thyroid cancer with full body radiation and colon cancer...I underwent surgery for both...currently I am on Rituximab infusions for my JRA and have been for almost six years. I have a 1000 mg infusion, wait two weeks and infuse, wait 4-6 months and repeat. I have a Bard power port...it is painless, I only feel it when I suds up or put lotion on...it saves my arms from all of the tourniqets which I find very painful...all blood work is withdrawn through this port.

    The port takes about 25 minutes of surgery and can be accessed immediately. It is a very small incision. The port is beneath the skin about where you would wear a brooch, the line goes up beneath the skin to about mid neck where it empties into the jugular vein. One of my more stellar choices.

    I have given you a lot to think about...take you time...I will always be right here for both of you. I am in the USA and have access to lots of rheumatoid research.

    Big hug for mum

    Big hug for you

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