Can Lymphoma of the Skin Be Prevented?
Most lymphomas of the skin have no known cause, so there is no sure way to prevent them from developing.
Having a weakened immune system may raise your risk of skin lymphoma, so making sure your immune system stays healthy might be one way to limit your risk.
An example of this would be to avoid known risk factors for infection with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), such as:
- Intravenous (IV) drug use
- Unprotected sex with someone whose HIV status is unknown
You can read more about HIV infection in HIV Infection and Cancer.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Querfeld C, Rosen ST, Duvic M. Chapter 104: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa. Elsevier: 2020.
Last Revised: May 19, 2025
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