Myasthenia Gravis Support Group
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...
Some research on transplant recipients being more likely to die from cancer is applicable to us, as the thinking is that the immune suppression needed to prevent organ rejection allows cancer to grow.
The message in this for MG folks is we need to know the signs and to be regularly checked for cancer signs, more than for normal folks, as some of the meds we take are the same as organ transplant folks take.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2016-01-07/organ-recipients-at-raised-risk-of-cancer-death-study-finds
from the study:
Experts believe the immune-suppressing drugs that transplant patients need to prevent rejection of new organs may work against them when it comes to cancer, allowing cancers to grow, Baxter said.
"Our immune system helps us fight cancer. It helps fight off some malignancies," Baxter said. "If you have that dampened down, it may have an impact."
Immune system-suppressing drugs also might hamper the body's ability to target and kill off viruses that cause cancer, Baxter added. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer, Epstein-Barr virus is linked to lymphoma, and hepatitis B and C viruses can lead to liver cancer, the researchers said.
In this study, people were 6.5 times more likely to die from a cancer caused by an infectious disease, but only twice as likely to die from a cancer not caused by an infection.
Transplant patients also might die because they aren't hardy enough to handle the cancer treatment that a healthy person can take, Baxter suggested.
The message in this for MG folks is we need to know the signs and to be regularly checked for cancer signs, more than for normal folks, as some of the meds we take are the same as organ transplant folks take.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2016-01-07/organ-recipients-at-raised-risk-of-cancer-death-study-finds
from the study:
Experts believe the immune-suppressing drugs that transplant patients need to prevent rejection of new organs may work against them when it comes to cancer, allowing cancers to grow, Baxter said.
"Our immune system helps us fight cancer. It helps fight off some malignancies," Baxter said. "If you have that dampened down, it may have an impact."
Immune system-suppressing drugs also might hamper the body's ability to target and kill off viruses that cause cancer, Baxter added. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer, Epstein-Barr virus is linked to lymphoma, and hepatitis B and C viruses can lead to liver cancer, the researchers said.
In this study, people were 6.5 times more likely to die from a cancer caused by an infectious disease, but only twice as likely to die from a cancer not caused by an infection.
Transplant patients also might die because they aren't hardy enough to handle the cancer treatment that a healthy person can take, Baxter suggested.
My husband has thinning hair from the drug too and kept forgetting to wear his hat this summer. I'll remind him of the increased skin cancer risks too.
Flutebell