I have a question about different forms of chemotherapy?

I do not have cancer. I have Psoriatic Arthritis. But, every 6 weeks for the last two years I have been getting Remicade infusions, and I take a weekly dose of Methotrexate. Recently a friend of mine in the nursing profession asked me "You do know that both of these are a form of chemotherapy don't you?" I did know that, but it got me thinking.

What would the long term effects be, since there is no end to these IV treatments or taking methotrexate? Is it such a low grade of chemotherapy that it wouldn't likely have long term effects? I know Remicade infusions are used for certain types of cancer as well. I'm hoping someone knowledgeable in this area can give me some layman's information I may be missing.

I have asked my doctor, but he seems determined to remain vague about this.

Thank you.

Thanks hirschel, I hope so too...

Cancer treatment drugs fall into 2 classes: (1) drugs that inhibit tumor growth by blocking some type of chemical reaction needed for growth; and (2) drugs (toxins) that kill certain types of cells.

Methotrexate is used as an anti-cancer drug. It blocks the growth of fast-growing cells such as tumors or cells that form the scaly patches. The most serious side effect of this drug is generally scarring in the liver. The docs can determine if this is occurring through a blood test. There can be some normal cell types that are killed by this drug - it varies from person-to-person.

Remicade is completely different. It blocks chemical pathways needed to cause inflammation, and it does not affect cell growth. This drug has more numerous and more serious side effects, including increasing cancer risk.

Plaquenil, Azulfidine, and Rheumatrex are safer alternatives to Remicade, but they don't seem to work in some people. You could always ask the doc to try out these drugs to see if they work. Report It

I'm not sure anyone is smart enough in here to answer your questions.....good luck I hope you find what your looking for

I have had a few patients over the years who have taken chemo for long periods of time, most without adverse effects or long term changes. Perhaps the Doc is vague because not much information is available to them about it. The drug companies don't like to give out info that says bad news about taking medications for a long time. I took care of a well-educated pharmacist that read aspirin would prevent heart attacks. Many years later they were required to have expensive infusions to boost their blood almost 2 to 3 times each week. No heart attacks but they did die from the blood problem. This was more interesting when knowing several people with arthritis who take aspirin for years without problems.

Those are two nasty drugs that can do a lot of damage,... and If your doctor is "remaining vague" when you ask him information about the long term health affects of this course of treatment, it's time to find a new doctor.

That should always be a big alarm bell to a patient. You have a right to know what you are putting into your body and what it will do.
And never let a doctor sucker you into thinking that because you don't have a medical degree, you have to take their opinions as gospel.

This is why I prefer to deal with western doctors as little as possible, I can't stand their pretentiousness and belief that they don't owe a patient an explanation about their diagnoses or treatments.

If you are open to it, perhaps you could consult with a holistic practitioner or practitioner of acupuncture and oriental medicine.
Most ailments can be treated quite effectively through diet modification, acupuncture and herbal preparations taken both internally and externally.