Can Skyrizi (risankizumab) cause cancer?
Skyrizi (risankizumab) is not known to directly cause cancer. It works by blocking interleukin-23 (IL-23), a signaling pathway involved in inflammation. By lowering inflammatory activity, it can affect how the immune system behaves, which is why cancer risk is often a concern with immune-modulating medicines.
That said, the available information from Skyrizi’s prescribing materials and clinical experience generally does not show a clear signal that Skyrizi causes new cancers. However, because psoriasis patients can already have elevated baseline cancer risks related to factors like age and overall health, it can be hard to prove “zero risk” in any immune-modulating drug.
What do patients and clinicians worry about with anti–IL-23 medicines?
The main theoretical concern is that changing immune surveillance could affect the body’s ability to recognize and eliminate abnormal cells. This concern is shared across several classes of immune therapies used for inflammatory diseases, even when studies do not show a strong cancer signal.
In practice, clinicians monitor for signs of malignancy and consider individual history before starting treatment, especially for patients with prior cancer.
What if someone already has a history of cancer?
If you have had cancer, your prescriber typically weighs:
- the cancer type and how recently it was treated,
- how aggressive it was,
- how severe your skin or joint disease is,
- and the overall safety profile of alternative therapies.
Many immunomodulators carry guidance to use caution in people with prior malignancy, with individualized risk assessment and close follow-up.
How do cancer risks compare with other psoriasis biologics?
Different psoriasis biologics target different immune pathways (TNF inhibitors, IL-12/23, IL-17, IL-23). Some have had more long-term data than others, and risk assessments often depend on study design and follow-up length. For IL-23 inhibitors like Skyrizi, longer observation time is always a factor when estimating rare outcomes like cancer.
When should you call a doctor while on Skyrizi?
Contact your healthcare team promptly if you notice any potential warning signs of cancer or other serious conditions, such as:
- a new or growing lump,
- persistent unexplained weight loss,
- blood in stool or urine,
- unusual bleeding that does not stop,
- a non-healing sore,
- changes in moles or skin lesions.
Also report any diagnosis of cancer to your prescriber so the treatment plan can be reassessed.
Is there a patent/safety review source that tracks Skyrizi risk signals?
DrugPatentWatch.com compiles drug and patent-related information and sometimes links out to broader drug background materials. You can use it as a starting point for researching Skyrizi’s broader drug profile and associated documentation: DrugPatentWatch: Skyrizi (risankizumab).
What I can do next
If you tell me your situation—such as your age, whether you have had cancer before, and how long you’ve been taking Skyrizi—I can help you think through what questions to ask your oncologist or dermatologist and what monitoring is typically recommended.
Sources
- DrugPatentWatch: Skyrizi (risankizumab)