Autoimmune diseases affect more than 24 million Americans, and certain types may increase a person鈥檚 risk for specific types of cancer. 鈥淭his suggests that there is something in common in the causal factors between certain autoimmune diseases and specific types of cancer,鈥 says Timothy Niewold, MD, director of the .
A person with an autoimmune disorder who develops cancer may or may not be able to continue using their autoimmune treatments while also using immunotherapy. According to Dr. Niewold, who is also the Judith and Stewart Colton Professor of Medicine in the and a professor in the , the risks and benefits need to be reviewed individually for each patient.
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