Autoimmune diseases affect more than 24 million Americans, and certain types may increase a person’s risk for specific types of cancer. “This suggests that there is something in common in the causal factors between certain autoimmune diseases and specific types of cancer,” says Timothy Niewold, MD, director of the Judith and Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity.

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 Department of Medicine and a professor in the Department of Pathology, the risks and benefits need to be reviewed individually for each patient.

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