MG and Cancer
 

Hello everyone. Officially diagnosed with MG ten years ago. Have used heavy doses of Mestinon and Imuran the entire time. Now diagnosed with Spindle
Cell skin cancer. Warning labels on imuran state extended use may lead to skin càncers. Other sites are researchers stating MG itself regularly leads to càncer. What is your take? I have appointment with neuro after hospital where they are removing the tumor.

I have had about 10 skin cancers removed. I have taken Imuran about one year now taking Cellcept plus mestinon and Prednisone since 2009. My neuro-muscular doctor explained it to me as "what quality of life I wanted". I am 76.
Mike

I heard about the possibility of skin cancer, when I started Imuran and go to the Dermatologist every 6 months for check-up. I hope to catch that if it happens.
FREDH

Yes I go every 6 months also.
Mike

MG and Cancer
 

I have regularly visited the dermatologist where they look for dangerous spots and always burn 6-10 precancerous spots off my bald head.

Lems
 

MG is also associated with cancer, but more as the canary in the coal mine. If you have MG, and it is not autoimmune, it is likely LEMS, which is paraneoplastic, meaning it often arrives with, before, or after the discovery of cancer, usually lung or breast cancer.

GI, Sorry you are dealing with cancer. I hope they will get it all!!!

Ditto, Mike.

Immunosuppression comes with a lot of risk. Some people with MG (and other diseases) have no other choice though.

MG and LEMS are both paraneoplastic disorders. However, that does not mean that all patients will have cancer. In MG patients with a thymoma, they are more prone to other cancers.

This is not an exact science. The causes for cancer are many and, as of yet, they can't exactly predict who will have it or what kind. Some are more hereditary, such as adenocarcinoma, but that still doesn't mean they are "passed down."

An immunologist or neurologist can run a paraneoplastic panel, if anyone is concerned about it.

Annie

Although the prevalence of cancer with Lems is high, it is still an autoimmune disorder and can be purely autoimmune, that is, not driven by cancer.

In Lems with cancer it is thought that there are VGCC (voltage gated calcium channels) on the surface of the associated tumor, therefore the attack on these channels in the neuromuscular junction is a byproduct of the attack on the tumor.