Patients diagnosed with blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myelomas, may be at higher risk than those with other cancers. Blood cancers often start in the bone marrow and disrupt the normal production of immune cells. These cancers may also affect the lymph system, including the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes, which help store immune cells and filter out impurities. And because COVID-19 attacks the lungs, patients with underlying chronic lung disease who develop lung cancer are at an increased risk of severe symptoms from the virus.
Cancer patients who are in active treatment for their disease may also have a higher risk, especially those on chemotherapy drugs. These drugs may cause side effects that decrease the body’s ability to produce infection-fighting white blood cells.