Cancer is predetermined...right?

[Sea_Star]

I'm wondering if 6mp/Imuran and the biologics CAUSE cancer, or if they just bring it to surface? Like, is it predetermined someone would eventually get cancer and these meds just put the spotlight on them earlier? (Melandom, Non-melanoma skin cancer, Lymphoma, Cervical ca, leukemia, etc)?

In my eyes, it makes no sense to take an immunosuppressant for asymptomatic, mild-moderate inflammation (according to imaging) ileitis, but my doctor is at Mayo Clinic Jax...so i guess i have to shut up at some point (seen 7!) and swallow the side effects which are causing problems worse than...no symptom-crohn's (other than mild RLQ soreness)

 

[Clash]

My son was completely asymptomatic as far as GI issues, his only outward symptoms was being underweight(due to malabsorption not lack of appetite).

A lack of symptoms does not mean lack of active disease. On an MRE, my son's disease didn't look severe but the surgeon could not believe he wasn't experiencing symptoms because the area removed had deep ulcerations and fissures.

As to your other question, I don't know the answer but having seen the damage active CD can cause(without symptoms) I'm comfortable with any meds my son decides on.

 

[DustyKat]

I can’t answer with any degree of surety but I imagine in some cases it may bring it to surface so to speak but I do feel that in other instances it is the primary cause. Suppressing the immune is creating an environment which has the potential to allow cancer to form that may otherwise not if the immune system was functioning normally.

But on the flip side, unchecked or under treated inflammation also places stress on the body and in the area of bowel affected it has the potential to produce dysplasia (early cancer cells). That is why those with IBD are at a greater risk of developing bowel cancer than the general population.

I can fully understand your desire to not take these sort of medications but unfortunately not treating inflammation comes with own set of risks, some of which are no less life threatening than the serious side effects of some of the drugs.

Dusty. xxx