Lupus and cancer, Is lupus a form of cancer?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease it is not a form of cancer.

Are people with lupus more likely to develop cancers?

Those diagnosed with lupus are no more likely to develop cancer than the general population.  People who received chemotherapy drugs tend to carry an added risk later in life for developing cancer.

Are their any special considerations regarding treatment of cancer in people with lupus?

 Cancer has several different treatment modalities that include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.  Lupus patients whom have cancer surgery should be closely monitored by there personal physician or a rheumatologist so they can evaluate the activity of lupus during the treatment course.  Steroid therapy and surgical procedures that are being performed on lupus patients need to have the steroid dose adjusted accordingly before surgery and then slowly tapered over the course of surgery.  Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin could effect the clotting time before surgery so the medications would have to stopped prior to surgery to minimize bleeding.

Chemotherapy can be used to treat active lupus and does not present any problems.