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Temporal Relationship Between Antitumor Necrosis Factor‐α Antibody Therapy and Recrudescence of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Author(s) -
Engel Samuel H.,
Hullar Timothy E.,
Adkins Douglas R.,
Thorstad Wade L.,
Sunwoo John B.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/mlg.0b013e31815abf4c
Subject(s) - medicine , infliximab , tumor necrosis factor alpha , rheumatoid arthritis , head and neck cancer , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , disease , necrosis , inflammatory bowel disease , oncology , colorectal cancer , cancer , adalimumab
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α inhibitors have been used effectively to treat rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Although the role of TNF‐α in tumor development is not well understood, an increased risk of malignancies with anti‐TNF‐α therapy has been suggested. We report an instructive case of a patient, treated for Crohn's disease with infliximab, who presented with a neck abscess diagnosed to be head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The patient's clinical course illustrates a temporal relationship between reappearance of his cancer after a complete response to therapy and the resumption of infliximab for worsening Crohn's disease.