Low immunity

If you have low immunity, your immune system does not work as well. This means you are more likely to get infections.

People with a lower immunity may have:

  • had a transplant and take drugs to suppress the immune system – these drugs stop the body rejecting the transplant
  • HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
  • a medical condition that lowers their immunity.

If you have low immunity, you may be more likely to develop some cancers, including:

You may also have a higher risk of cancers caused by a virus or bacteria.

If you are worried about your risk of cancer, speak to your doctor. They can talk to you about this in more detail.

Back to Potential causes of cancer

Viruses and bacteria

You cannot catch cancer from someone else. But some viruses may increase your risk of developing cancer.

Human papilloma virus (HPV)


HPV vaccines

There are two vaccines currently available across the UK to prevent human papilloma virus (HPV).