Should TNF inhibitors be held in patients undergoing radiation therapy?
Is there a risk of increased radioresistance or secondary malignancy (or conversely, toxicity) for patients on TNF inhibitors such as infliximab or etanercept? If so, how long should they be held and is there an alternative therapy for rheumatoid arthritis that is well tolerated with RT?
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Should TNF inhibitors be held in patients undergoing radiation therapy?
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2 Answers
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Rheumatology · The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Answered on
We do not hold TNF inhibitors when needed for patients undergoing radiation therapy.
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Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Radiation Oncology · Stanford University
Answered on
There is no clinical data to guide an answer for this question. Preclinical data suggests that TNFa may play a role in an effective radiation response. It may also be involved in promoting radiation toxicity. In the absence of real data, my two cents:
For definitive radiation treatments, my bias wou...
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