Any info about 6mp?

[Zootini]

hello I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about 6mp, does it carry any cancer side effects? Have had a little look on google and some says it can possibly cause cancer and some says not. Has anyone found that it's really helped them when all else has failed? Thank you x

 

[wellen1981]

hello I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about 6mp, does it carry any cancer side effects? Have had a little look on google and some says it can possibly cause cancer and some says not. Has anyone found that it's really helped them when all else has failed? Thank you x

Hi if you take a step back on the forum and instead of clicking the heading Treatments look under and you see actual links for some of the main drugs people are taking and 6MP has its own section.... you should find lots of honest info from people regarding it and the more research you do the better understanding you can gain - i go to wikipedia for drugs and medical terms to be honest then i just follow links within the wiki pages or dig into the Source links at the bottom of wiki pages.

 

[alex_chris]

hello I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about 6mp, does it carry any cancer side effects? Have had a little look on google and some says it can possibly cause cancer and some says not. Has anyone found that it's really helped them when all else has failed? Thank you x

Hi there again, Zoe.

6mp carries various potential side effects, most notably for some patients an increase in the likelihood to contract a serious infection, although a well monitored patient (blood tests every 4 weeks as recommended) can adjust the dosage enough so the white blood count remains in the lower normal range, rather than be suppressed way below the normal range - limiting this side effect.

6mp also carries a potential side effect of affecting the liver function, in which case it is stopped by the GI (again a reason for the blood tests every 4 weeks).

Lastly, as you say, it is not well understood whether 6mp really increases the risk of cancer. Some studies have shown that the chance of being diagnosed with lymphoma (a type of cancer) is 4 times higher than in the normal population, but the studies had rather high uncertainties and it is unclear how much other factors for Crohn's patients play a role. In any event, even a 4 times increase is 100 times less than the risk increase by smoking... just as a comparison.

Having said that, while 6mp is a drug that needs to be monitored and for certain patients has resulted in side effects, the risk of having cancer should generally not be a reason not to take the drug. If you want to limit your cancer risk, there are many other things you can do which are much more effectively limiting cancer (e.g. for skin cancer, staying out of the sun in the middle of the day; or not smoking or not working or staying in an environment where people smoke or have smoked recently etc.).

 

[Zootini]

Thank you guys x