Cancer Treatment Used for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cancer Treatment Used for Rheumatoid Arthritis

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and am always on the look out
for some new medication or treatment that might help me. Now I have learned
that a cancer treatment is also to be used for cases such as mine, and I would
like to find out the name of the drug and more about it. Can you help out?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: Your information is correct. A medication, "methotrexate," which
originally was approved for treatment of certain types of cancer and is now
used in the treatment of psoriasis as well, has been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. But the
indications make it clear that this is not a medication to be used
indiscriminately, but rather in cases that have been unresponsive or
intolerant to other therapies. The medication is given in low doses once a
week to keep side effects to a minimum, but which include nausea, diarrhea and
loss of appetite. Serious side effects are fortunately rare and include
suppression of the production of white and red blood cells. In the studies
which led to the approval, methotrexate therapy reduced joint pain and
swelling as well as morning stiffness and fatigue. Some patients began to
improve in as little as four to six weeks after the treatment was initiated.
I hope you will have the same fine results, should your physician and you
choose to start this new treatment.