Crohn’s permanent stoma rates plummet in post-biologic era

[nogutsnoglory]

Crohn’s permanent stoma rates plummet in post-biologic era

This is such excellent news!

"Permanent stoma creation in patients with extensive Crohn's disease has fallen to a third of its previous rate following the advent of biologic therapy, research shows."

Full story: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20...stoma-rates-plummet-in-post-biologic-era.aspx

 

[Dukeis]

Wonder how those numbers will look when we are say 20 years post biologic therapy? I was on biologic therapy from 2002 to 2013 and still had a total proctocolectomy. Not from the Crohn's, but from dysplasia. Which they tell was caused by the over 20 years of inflammation caused by the Crohn's. I wonder in the years to come will the biological's increase or decrease the cancer risk in long term IBD patients.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I can't see it as decreasing risk because it is manipulating the body and they already know biologics do come with an increased risk of cancer.

 

[Dukeis]

I was thinking along the lines of colon cancer I should have said that. The biologics are not known to increase the risk of colon cancer. Sure makes me wonder though if they do. I have researched and haven't really found that the biologics are associated with causing colon cancer, but who knows what we'll learn in years to come.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I could see a potential reduction in colon and anal cancer as a result of controlling IBD disease activity in those areas. Time will tell but that will be a nice outcome.

 

[JenGC]

All of the most recent research shows that those with IBD (and other autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory arthritis) on biologics have the same cancer risk as the normal population.

So, lets think about that for a minute..........

Because just having IBD or another autoimmune disease, we have a significantly increased chance of cancer (after all - our ant TNF system is mucked up - and TNF does stand for tumor necrosis factor - in laymans terms, immune cells that kill cancer)

So whilst no-one in the scientific community is yet willing to be quite so blunt, the anti TNFs actually appear to bring our increased risk of cancer back to normal.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

But if TNF kills cancer cells and we are suppressing TNF with biologics. Aren't we increasing our cancer risk?

 

[JenGC]

Well yes NGNG - that would be the theory if our immune systems were working correctly in the first place. But they aren't - quite frankly there seem to be heaps of things that impact - but interestingly enough, anyone with an autoimmune disease is far more susceptible to cancer - even though in theory we all have more anti TNF than the average. It just doesn't work the way it's meant to when you aren't relaxed