I am a 55 year old female who was diagnosed with RA ten years ago. I take humira, methotrexate, plaquenil and prednisone. I just had a mole removed and it was malignant melanoma. Has anyone else had melanoma with RA? Do you know which drugs I should try to eliminate to minimize the chances of recurrance?
9/27/10 12:27pm
I don't know terrific amount about melanoma, but we have a Skin Cancer site here on HealthCentral where you can find more information and connect with people who would know more about this. Since you're specifically looking for the combination of RA and melanoma, I'd also recommend that you write a SharePost here on MyRACentral about your experience, as they tend to get more traffic than the individual questions in the Q&A section. to write a SharePost, click on the Connect tab at the top of the page for the drop-down menu that will take you to this feature.
A couple of years ago, a dermatologist told me I had melanoma (turns out I didn't, but nevermind), but also that is one of the "good" cancers to bed, as it's a very, very low mortality rate (I think it's 1%). It is my impression that melanoma is usually treated by removing the mole(s) and that usually that does it in terms of treatment. I.e., no chemo or radiation. However, the fact that you take immunosuppressant drugs may be a concern that should be considered and I'd recommend that you speak to your dermatologist about what impact, if any, these drugs may have on a possible recurrence of the melanoma. I'd also recommend that you talk to your rheumatologist about this and try to link up your dermatologist and your rheumatologist so they can discuss how best to treat your RA without putting you at increased risk for a recurrence.
Please keep us posted?
9/30/10 4:58pm
Hi Dana,
Like you I have had RA for a decade now and take some of the same meds (except Remicade rather than Humira). In June I had a small basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) removed from my forearm. The dermatologist said that the meds we take (esp the biologic ones) can predispose us to getting these skin cancers. I am not ready to give up the Remicade as it has helped me so much. I just keep a close watch on my skin. Melanoma can be quite serious--so it's good to keep close check on your skin and I'd not hesitate to be checked by a dermatologist just to be certain that all is well.
9/30/10 5:09pm
I also was diagnosed with melanoma in a mole at the age of 40 after being on humira for 3 years. It was diagnosed after a routine visit to the dermatologist for something else. It was a very scary situation since at the time my doctor was not aware that melanoma and skin cancer was a risk associated with taking humira. As a result, I no longer take humira and only take methotrexate. Thankfully , my pain is under control and the suspicious mole was removed with no further consequences. I now have regular skin exams every 6 months and wear sunscreen every day. If I have a severe flare-up, I take a short course of prednisone. I don't think I will ever go back on humira unless I was in severe pain and nothing worked. For me, the risk is too great! The entire experience has made me more aware of the importance of having regular physicals and skin exams as well as R.A. visits!
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By Dana— Last Modified: 12/27/10, First Published: 09/26/10
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I wouldn't say that melanoma is a 'good" cancer - it's deadly if not caught early, but it can be caught early if the person who has it once stays on top of things and goes for regular skin checks. I know more than one person who has had it and had moles removed regularly as they appear.
We have a very close friend (our 'best man', in fact, who has been on Remicade for a long time (with a diversion to Enbrel for a while when his insurance after a job change wouldn't cover it). He's just had a complicated (trans-oral robotic surgery) for not one but TWO squamous cell carcinomas. It was a difficult surgery and recovery (3 drains for a week, nasogastic tube, painful swallowing, and he will also have to have radiation). But he is getting through it, thank goodness. Squamous cell cancers are not usually deadly, but can be if they are let go too long (I have one friend whose brother died from it, but that's apparently very unusual.) I'm not sure why our friend Pete's got to this point, except that he recently changed doctors because his previous one seemed to be incompetent and maybe didn't take it seriously when the problem came up. He's very happy with his current doc and surgeon.