Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34426413›Full record

ArticleCancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology2021

Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and the Risk of Cancer among Older Americans with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Monica E D'Arcy, Daniel C Beachler, Ruth M Pfeiffer, Jeffrey R Curtis, Xavier Mariette, Raphaele Seror, Parag Mahale, Donna R Rivera, Elizabeth L Yanik, Eric A Engels

Open access · bronzeAbstract readComment
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. TNF-alpha: Roles in pathogenesis and therapeutics in cancer.The Journal of biological chemistry · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Monica E D'ArcyDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland. monica.d'arcy@nih.gov.
Daniel C BeachlerHealthcore Inc, Wilmington, Delaware.
Ruth M PfeifferDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.ORCID 0000-0001-7791-2698
Jeffrey R CurtisUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Xavier MarietteHôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique -Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France.
Raphaele SerorHôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique -Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, Paris, France.
Parag MahaleDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.ORCID 0000-0003-1285-3310
Donna R RiveraDivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.ORCID 0000-0002-4565-4556
Elizabeth L YanikWashington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Eric A EngelsDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.
National Cancer Institute · USUniversité Paris-Saclay · FRUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · USUniversity of Missouri–St. Louis · USWilmington University · US

Funding

Intramural NIH HHS Z99 CA999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTNF inhibitors (TNFi) effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis but may increase patient risk of some malignancies, particularly lymphomas or skin cancers.

methodsWe used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data to conduct a case-control study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (2007-2015). Cases were individuals with a first cancer diagnosed in SEER registries (ages 66-99, 22 cancer sites,

resultsTNFi exposure was present in 16.2% of controls and 12.8% to 33.7% of cancer cases, varying by site. TNFi use was associated with increased risk of NMSC overall (aOR 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.63), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) overall (1.28, 1.06-1.56) and, specifically, follicular lymphoma (2.63, 1.63-4.24). TNFi exposure was not associated with other SEER cancer sites, BCC or SCC specifically, or other common NHL subtypes.

conclusionsAmong older adults with rheumatoid arthritis, TNFi exposure was associated with elevated risk of NMSC and NHL, driven specifically by follicular lymphoma. Exposure was not associated with increased risk for other cancer sites. IMPACT: Our results support a role for TNF in lymphomagenesis. Given the association with NMSC, patients initiating TNFi therapy may benefit from skin cancer screening and sun protection measures.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidBasal Cell CarcinomaAgedCase-Control StudiesHumansMedicareTumor Necrosis Factor InhibitorsUnited StatesTumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID34426413
PMCPMC8568666
OpenAlexW3195885596

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.