Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Shingles

Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment has the potential to increase an individual's risk of developing shingles. This is because certain cancer treatments can lower a patient's ability to fight off diseases and infections. If a patient already has the shingles virus in their body, therefore, undergoing cancer treatments has the potential to cause the virus to spread to their skin, resulting in the blisters and other painful symptoms. Researchers found individuals who have recently received a cancer diagnosis have a much higher chance of developing shingles. This is particularly true of patients who have undergone chemotherapy or who have blood cancers. The findings are being used for shingles prevention by giving patients with increased risk better access to shingles vaccines. Cancer patients appeared to have about a forty percent higher chance of developing shingles than individuals without cancer. In addition, patients with a blood cancer were more than three times as likely to develop shingles as patients without cancer. The analysis indicated that in some individuals, the shingles vulnerability was present for at least two years before being diagnosed.

Learn more about what can increase an individual's risk of developing shingles now.