Risk of malignancy with systemic psoriasis treatment in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment Registry

Abstract

Background: The effect of systemic therapy on malignancy risk among patients with psoriasis is not fully understood.

Objective: Evaluate the impact of systemic treatment on malignancy risk among patients with psoriasis in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR).

Methods: Nested case-control analyses were performed among patients with no history of malignancy. Cases were defined as first malignancy (other than nonmelanoma skin cancer) in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry, and controls were matched by age, sex, geographic region, and time on registry. Study therapies included methotrexate, ustekinumab, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors. Exposure was defined as 1 or more doses of study therapy within 12 months of malignancy onset and further stratified by duration of therapy. Multivariate conditional logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders, was used to estimate odds ratios of malignancies associated with therapy.

Results: Among 12,090 patients, 252 malignancy cases were identified and 1008 controls were matched. Treatment with methotrexate or ustekinumab for more than 0 months to less than 3 months, 3 months to less than 12 months, or 12 months or longer was not associated with increased malignancy risk versus no exposure. Longer-term (≥12 months) (odds ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.15; P = .01), but not shorter-term treatment, with a TNF-α inhibitor was associated with increased malignancy risk.

Limitations: Cases and controls could belong to 1 or more therapy categories.

Conclusions: Long-term (≥12 months) treatment with a TNF-α inhibitor, but not methotrexate and ustekinumab, may increase risk for malignancy in patients with psoriasis.

Keywords: PSOLAR; TNF-α inhibitors; biologic; conventional systemic; malignancy; methotrexate; psoriasis; tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors; ustekinumab.