FDA: TNF Drugs May Raise Cancer Risk In Kids

According to Food and Drug Administration, drugs that are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory health conditions like chron’s disease might increase the risk of cancer in children and teenagers.

TNF ( tumor necrosis factor ) blockers work by interrupting a protein that is responsible for inflammation and damage to bones and other tissues.

The Food and Drug Administration, which urged greater caution with so-called TNF blockers last September, said an analysis of 48 reported cancer cases in children using the drugs “showed an increased risk of cancer, occurring after 30 months of treatment on average.” Eleven of the reported cases were fatal, the FDA said.

Read more at Reuters