Table 1

Number and characteristics of patients with RA starting a bDMARD, a TNF inhibitor or a non-TNF inhibitor, during 2010–2017, as well as number of those patients with a previous history of cancer 10-year prior to starting the bDMARD in question, distinguishing invasive and in situ cancer, across different bDMARDs. Data from four large Scandinavian biologics registers. Information when the number of patient was less than 5 is not presented

TNF inhibitorsNon-TNF inhibitors
Patients (n)AdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark121214442816434152811099841703
Finland6664281018517241544910442
Norway10246046815020892223173
Sweden29842012652918612714270134882477
TOTAL4964434410 83129624691444656054795
Any history of cancerAdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark
N (%) patients with history of cancer
N patients with in situ/invasive cancer
12 (1%)
5/7
26 (1.8%)
17/9
53 (1.9%)
22/31
5 (1.2%)
<5/<5
27 (1.8%)
11/16
16 (1.4%)
6/10
169 (17.2%)
17/152
36 (2.1%)
18/18
Finland
N (%) of patients with any history of cancer
N. patients with in situ/invasive cancer
16 (2.4%)
1/15
16 (3.7%)
2/14
35 (3.4%)
2/33
20 (3.8%)
2/18
8 (3.3%)
3/5
44 (8%)
5/39
118 (13%)
3/115
31 (7%)
2/28
Norway
N (%) of patients with any history of cancer
N. patients with in situ/invasive cancer
2 (2.0%)
N/A
7 (1.5%)
N/A
6 (1.3%)
N/A
3 (2.0%)
N/A
5 (2.4%)
N/A
1 (1.0%)
N/A
26 (11.7%)
N/A
6 (3.5%)
N/A
Sweden
N (%) patients with any history of cancer
N. patients with in situ/invasive cancer
152 (5.1%)
61/91
108 (5.3%)
31/77
397 (6.1%)
142/255
83 (4.5%)
38/45
139 (5.1%)
59/80
186 (6.9%)
63/123
493 (14%)
98/395
145 (5.9%)
45/100
ALL
N (%) patients with any history of cancer
182 (3.7%)157 (3.6%)491 (4.5%)111 (3.7%)179 (3.8%)247 (5.6%)806 (14.4%)218 (4.5%)
Time (years) since cancer*, median (IQR)AdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark4 (2–5)7 (2–7)3 (2–6)4 (4–7)5 (2–7)4 (2–7)3 (1–6)6 (3–8)
Finland5 (4–6)4 (2–5)4 (2–6)3 (1–6)3 (2–6)3 (4–6)3 (2–6)3 (1–5)
Norway<5 patients7 (5–8)6 (3–9)<5 patients5 (2–9)<5 patients2 (2–5)6 (2–8)
Sweden4 (2–6)4 (2–7)4 (2–7)4 (2–7)4 (2–7)4 (2–6)3 (1–6)4 (2–7)
Median (IQR) age at bDMARD start, yearsAdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark
  • All

  • History of cancer

56 (46–65)
63 (55–70)
57 (48–66)
52 (41–67)
59 (50–68)
60 (47–73)
56 (45–66)
60 (60–70)
60 (49–69)
60 (47–73)
59 (50–68)
63 (47–71)
61 (52–70)
66 (58–73)
59 (50–69)
61 (43–71)
Finland
  • All

  • History of cancer

51 (43–61)
62 (56–70)
53 (44–62)
63 (55–69)
52 (41–63)
66 (59–70)
52 (43–62)
67 (60–69)
48 (37–59)
59 (54–62)
56 (48–65)
65 (61–72)
63 (56–71)
68 (61–75)
54 (51–61)
66 (57–72)
Norway
  • All

  • History of cancer

52 (50–54)
<5 patients
54 (53–55)
64 (60–75)
53 (52–53)
63 (57–75)
52 (50–53)
<5 patients
55 (53–56)
<5 patients
54 (53–56)
<5 patients
58 (56–59)
63 (58–69)
54 (53–55)
67 (52–68)
Sweden
  • All

  • History of cancer

58 (46–67)
67 (57–72)
58 (47–67)
67 (52–74)
58 (46–67)
67 (56–73)
58 (46–66)
65 (50–71)
59 (48–67)
65 (55–73)
61 (51–69)
69 (61–75)
64 (54–72)
68 (61–74)
59 (48–67)
65 (58–73)
Female, %AdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark
  • All

  • History of cancer

78%
83%
75%
85%
77%
85%
74%
<5 patients
75%
74%
79%
75%
78%
77%
77%
78%
Finland
  • All

  • History of cancer

73%
69%
75%
88%
78%
86%
76%
80%
70%
100%
84%
91%
74%
76%
78%
71%
Norway
  • All

  • History of cancer

85%
<5 patients
75%
71%
76%
100%
77%
<5 patients
73%
<5 patients
84%
<5 patients
77%
64%
84%
71%
Sweden
  • All

  • History of cancer

76%
79%
76%
77%
77%
78%
78%
78%
74%
72%
81%
82%
76%
71%
80%
77%
Prior bDMARDs (n; median, IQR)AdalimumabCertolizumab pegolEtanerceptGolimumabInfliximabAbataceptRituximabTocilizumab
Denmark
  • All

  • History of cancer

1 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
0 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–0)
Finland
  • All

  • History of cancer

0 (0–1)
0 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
2 (1–4)
0 (0–1)
0 (0–1)
0 (0–2)
1 (0–3)
0 (0–1)
0 (0–2)
1 (0–2)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–2)
0 (0–1)
2 (1–3)
1 (0–3)
Norway
  • All

  • History of cancer

1 (0–1)
<5 patients
0 (0–1)
0 (0–0)
0 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
1 (0–2)
<5 patients
0 (0–1)
<5 patients
3 (2–4)
<5 patients
2 (1–2)
0 (0–1)
2 (1–3)
3 (1–3)
Sweden
  • All

  • History of cancer

1 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–2)
0 (0–2)
0 (0–1)
0 (0–1)
1 (0–1)
1 (0–2)
0 (0–1)
0 (0–1)
2 (1–3)
1 (1–3)
1 (0–2)
1 (0–2)
2 (1–3)
2 (1–3)
  • *Time from cancer diagnosis was defined as the time from first diagnosis of cancer until the start of the bDMARD.

  • TNF, tumor necrosis factor; IQR, interquartile range; bDMARD, biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; N/A, non-available.