Effects of common treatments on cancer incidence in multiple sclerosis patients
Effects of common treatments on cancer incidence in multiple sclerosis patients
Mobina Bahadorani,1,*
1. MSc of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of advance Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the central nervous system and is characterized by immune system involvement. An issue that poses significant challenges and concerns for individuals with multiple sclerosis is the development of cancer, which complicates their treatment and overall health condition. The occurrence of the cancer in the multiple sclerosis population is influenced by a range of factors. Numerous studies have explored this subject, and in this review article, our focus is to elucidate the correlation between these treatments and the cancer.
Methods: This review article was conducted by examining various articles focusing on the correlation between common treatments for multiple sclerosis patients and the occurrence of cancer. The articles were collected from 2010 onwards using the keywords "cancer" AND "multiple sclerosis" from the Pubmed database. A total of 84 articles were gathered, out of which 20 were excluded due to their lack of relevance to the subject matter. Therefore, only 64 studies were considered for the review.
Results: The association between commonly used treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer has been evaluated through the reviewed articles. Immunomodulatory and immunosuppressant treatments, such as fingolimod, beta-interferon, dimethyl fumarate (DMF), cladribine, cyclophosphamide, natalizumab, pembrolizumab, alemtuzumab, rituximab, azathioprine, which belong to a group of treatments known as disease-modifying therapies (DMT), as well as cytotoxic drugs, have been examined and analyzed.
Conclusion: According to the reviewed articles, the likelihood of cancer in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo common therapies appears to vary depending on the specific treatment used. Some treatments have been found to increase the risk of cancer, while others have been associated with a decreased risk. However, certain treatments show no significant association with either an increased or decreased risk of cancer. However, the available evidence is limited, and further investigation is needed to draw more definitive conclusions.