Infections and infection-related problems are more common in people with lupus. This is because both the sickness and the drugs used to treat it impair their immune systems. Infections of the respiratory tract, skin, and urinary system are the most prevalent in patients with lupus. The risk of developing cancer is not higher but can be lower too. Cancer has been reported in people with lupus, but rarely. Lupus lowers the body's ability to fight off infections and causes harm to its major organs, especially the heart, lungs, and kidneys. The disease can be fatal if it does not get treated or detected early. People with lupus have a greater risk of developing cancers such as: breast cancer, lung cancer, blood cancers (such as leukemia), gastrointestinal cancers (such as colon cancer), genitourinary cancers (such as kidney cancer), nervous system cancers (such as brain tumor), oral cavity cancers (such as mouth cancer). There is some evidence that individuals with lupus may also have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Women with lupus are two to three times more likely than other women their age to develop breast cancer. This risk increases if they have symptoms of breast cancer when they first begin treatment for lupus or if they have a family history of breast cancer.