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Immunosuppressive drugs (including immunomodulators and anti–tumor-necrosis-factor agents) are used increasingly to treat autoimmune conditions, but the safety of immunosuppression in patients with histories of cancer has been questioned. To address this issue, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies involving patients with immune-mediated disorders and previous malignancies; patients who received immunosuppressive therapies (other than glucocorticoids) were compared with those who did not.
The analysis included 31 studies (24,000 patients with 86,000 patient-years of follow-up), mainly involving patients with inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. During a median follow-up of 44 months, patients who rece…