Weakened immune system
The immune system is the body’s natural defence against infection and disease. The immune system may also play a part in identifying and destroying cancer cells. People with a weakened (suppressed or compromised) immune system have an increased risk for certain types of cancer. A weakened immune system can increase a person’s risk for getting an infection and certain viruses and bacteria can also increase the risk for some cancers. Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are two cancers that are linked to a weakened immune system and certain viruses.
The immune system can be weakened by:
- medical treatment for certain diseases
- drugs given after an organ transplant or stem cell transplant to prevent rejection or for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
- cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- certain immune-deficiency disorders
- rare inherited immune disorders such as ataxia-telangiectasia or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome