Imuran - Azathioprine Cancer risk

[68/289]

I just recently found out that there is a heightened cancer risk with taking this drug for extended periods of time and found there is an especially deadly type of lymphoma associated with it in conjunction with Chron's disease : hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma.

I am only taking 50mg a day (in the morning) but am terrified of getting cancer from this drug. I have been on it since around 2007 and am in my mid 20's. I have heard some people say it is a matter of when with this drug but not if you will get cancer.

Cancer scares the living daylights out of me.

289

 

[DustyKat]

Hey 289,

I hear ya! I have both of my children taking Imuran too and hate the thought of it! :eek2: but I also hate the thought of treated or under treated Crohn's...I've seen fist hand what that can do. Have a look at this article...

http://www.ccfa.org/assets/pdfs/risk-and-benefits-transcript.pdf

...hopefully it will allay some of your fears by putting things into perspective.

Dusty. xxx

 

[68/289]

Hey 289,

I hear ya! I have both of my children taking Imuran too and hate the thought of it! :eek2: but I also hate the thought of treated or under treated Crohn's...I've seen fist hand what that can do. Have a look at this article...



...hopefully it will allay some of your fears by putting things into perspective.

Dusty. xxx

So to understand real fast, I am not great with numbers.

I am looking at a 4/10000 if I JUST take Imuran.

If I am taking Imuran/Aza AND one of the Bio drugs I am looking at that same number but then a 4 in either 400,000 chance of getting the H Tcell Lymphoma for young males...which is more or less an instant killer?

 

[hawkeye]

I think if it is both drugs it is 6/10,000 or 8/10,000 or thereabouts. Not sure about the 4:400000 for the general population of young males for htc lymphoma.

Looking at the data at the link below fatal malignancies are in the top 5 leading causes of deaths for the 20 something age cohorts in the US - http://www.cdc.gov/Injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCD-Age-Grp-US-2009-a.pdf

 

[68/289]

Being that I am still young, 24, do you feel I am being overly paranoid by the cancer risk? I only take 50mg a day, which is very low I have heard, and only really started to feel like things were wrong once I started to read how people were getting skin cancer left and right.

I guess I am being overly paranoid because I am seeing a new GI on Wednesday and am afraid that, after I request a colon/endo and CT/Ultra to be done (it has been 6 years since my last battery of tests) he is either going to put me on addition meds...raising my risk or find that I am already showing precancerous signs.

This disease just plain sucks.

 

[ravensfan88]

My GI considered giving my Azathioprine in conjunction with the Remicade I am already receiving, but wanted a second opinion. He was also very adamantly against doing it unless absolutely necessary because of the lymphoma risk (I am also 24). So, he basically wanted to keep that as a last resort.

I wanted to try it just because suffering with Crohn's is terrible, but I trust his judgement and if he is worried about it - I should be too.

All in all, I'd let your GI know about your concerns and see what they say. Maybe they can ween you off of it and start you on something else if you feel it's taking a toll on your mind.

Good luck!