Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blockers, Azathioprine and/or Mercaptopurine: Update on Reports of Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma in Adolescents and Young Adults

Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blockers, Azathioprine and/or Mercaptopurine: Update on Reports of Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma in Adolescents and Young Adults
[UPDATED 11/04/2011]  Healthcare professionals should remain vigilant for cases of malignancy in patients treated with TNF blockers, and report such cases to MedWatch. The reports should include:
.patient characteristics (age, gender, no patient identifiers)
.risk factors for malignancy
.exposure to other immune suppressing products or products with risk of malignancy
.indication for TNF blocker treatment
.TNF blocker exposure (duration, dose)
.cancer diagnosis (date of diagnosis, stage)
.biopsy results
.outcomes of malignancy (treatments, event outcome)
Read the MedWatch safety alert, including a link to the Drug Safety Communication, at:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm251443.htm

Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blockers, Azathioprine and/or Mercaptopurine: Update on Reports of Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma in Adolescents and Young Adults