Methotrexate and Central nervous system leukaemia - a phase IV clinical study of FDA data

Summary:

Central nervous system leukaemia is reported as a side effect among people who take Methotrexate (methotrexate sodium), especially for people who are male, 60+ old, have been taking the drug for < 1 month also take Blincyto, and have Acute lymphocytic leukemia (all).

The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people have Central nervous system leukaemia when taking Methotrexate. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 599,650 people who have side effects when taking Methotrexate from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

What is Methotrexate?

Methotrexate has active ingredients of methotrexate sodium. It is often used in rheumatoid arthritis. eHealthMe is studying from 604,314 Methotrexate users. Check the latest studies of Methotrexate.

What is Central nervous system leukaemia?

Central nervous system leukaemia (cancer of central nervous system) is found to be associated with 32 drugs and 86 conditions by eHealthMe. Check the latest studies of Central nervous system leukaemia.

eHealthMe: drug outcomes in the real world

eHealthMe runs one of the largest post-marketing drug safety studies in the world. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Our data-driven phase IV clinical trials have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Tools to study our phase IV findings are available to the public, anonymous and free >>>.

On Sep, 02, 2026

599,650 people reported to have side effects when taking Methotrexate.
Among them, 67 people (0.01%) have Central nervous system leukaemia.

Could Methotrexate cause Central nervous system leukaemia?

Among these 67 people:

How long have people been on Methotrexate when they have Central nervous system leukaemia? *

What is the gender of people who have Central nervous system leukaemia when taking Methotrexate? *

female: 36.36 %
male: 63.64 %

What is the age of people who have Central nervous system leukaemia when taking Methotrexate? *

What are other drugs people take besides Methotrexate? *

What are other side effects people have besides Central nervous system leukaemia? *

Fever: 13 people, 19.40%
Headache (pain in head): 10 people, 14.93%
Leukaemia Recurrent (repeat cancer of bone marrow or blood cells): 9 people, 13.43%
Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia Recurrent (cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes-recurrent): 9 people, 13.43%
Neutrophil Count Decreased (less than normal number of neutrophil a type of blood cell): 8 people, 11.94%
Thrombocytopenia (decrease of platelets in blood): 7 people, 10.45%
Hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure): 7 people, 10.45%
Gamma-Glutamyltransferase Increased: 6 people, 8.96%
Anaemia (lack of blood): 6 people, 8.96%
Urinary Retention (the inability to completely or partially empty the bladder): 6 people, 8.96%

What are the existing conditions these people have? *

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (All) (cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts): 25 people, 37.31%
Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (long lasting type of cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and invades the blood): 11 people, 16.42%
Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia Recurrent (cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes-recurrent): 10 people, 14.93%
B Precursor Type Acute Leukaemia (lymphoid cancer): 9 people, 13.43%
Headache (pain in head): 6 people, 8.96%
Hypoaesthesia (reduced sense of touch or sensation): 4 people, 5.97%
B-Cell Type Acute Leukaemia (cancer of the white blood cells): 4 people, 5.97%
Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (cancer of the blood and bone marrow): 3 people, 4.48%
Acute Graft Versus Host Disease In Intestine (acute complication in intestine following an allogeneic tissue/blood transplant): 2 people, 2.99%
Fever: 2 people, 2.99%

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Do you take Methotrexate and have Central nervous system leukaemia?

- Check whether Central nervous system leukaemia is associated with a drug or a condition
- Predict drug outcomes for up to one year with AI
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Related studies:

Effectiveness of, long term effects of, and alternative drugs to Methotrexate:

Methotrexate (604,314 reports)

Browse all side effects of Methotrexate:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all the drugs that are associated with Central nervous system leukaemia:

Central nervous system leukaemia (32 drugs)

Browse all the conditions that are associated with Central nervous system leukaemia:

Central nervous system leukaemia (86 conditions)

Related publications that referenced our studies

Henien M, Carey B, Hullah E, Sproat C, Patel V, "methotrexate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw: A report of two cases", Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, 2017 Dec .
Henien M, Carey B, Hullah E, Sproat C, Patel V, "methotrexate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw: A report of two cases", Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, 2017 Dec .

How the study uses the data?

The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on methotrexate sodium (the active ingredients of Methotrexate) and Methotrexate (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

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