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Crohn’s, Remicade (Infliximab), and Melanoma
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Crohn’s, Remicade (Infliximab), and Melanoma

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Crohn’s, Remicade (Infliximab), and Melanoma

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    • May 25, 2018 at 5:23 am
    Go_Cats215
    Participant

      Hi everyone,

      I am new to this board but love the positivity and support I've come across! My husband is 28 and was diagnosed in April with a stage 1A melanoma on his side. It was caught early, at his annual skin exam, so treatment consisted of a wide local excision and now dermatology check-ups every 3 months. He has been getting remicade (infliximab) infusions for the past 8 years, which started shortly after he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.

      After doing some preliminary research regarding infliximab and other anti-TNF biologic medications, he consulted with his gastroenterologist and an oncologist to discuss whether it is still in his best interest to take remicade, and ultimately he decided to continue the remicade for now. While there is of course no way of knowing why he got melanoma, he is fair skinned and despite his best efforts to protect his skin, he has been sunburned a few times in his life. He also has some family history, as his grandpa and uncle both had early stage melanomas removed.

      I found a couple threads on this board about infliximab and melanoma, but many of them are several years old, so I’m wondering if anyone out there has been in a similar situation and decided to continue or stop taking remicade, or has any other relevant insights to share on this matter.

      Thank you!

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    • Replies
        • May 25, 2018 at 5:48 pm
        Mat
        Participant

          Most of those posts likely relate to Stage IV melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy.  Certain side effects from immunotherapy (e.g., colitis) are treated with remicade when prednisone is insufficient.

            • May 26, 2018 at 12:42 am
            Go_Cats215
            Participant

              Thanks! I did come across several posts discussing how helpful remicade can be in treating side effects from immunotherapy.

              Some studies suggest that longterm use of anti-TNF medications reduce the immune system's surveillance response, theoretically increasing melanoma risk. It seems that the real-life risk is harder to estimate. One physician told us that if someone taking remicade for something else (such as psoriasis) develops melanoma, they contraindicate further use of remicade due to the increased risk, but that there aren't as many treatment options for Crohn's, which makes the decision trickier in those cases. 

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