Can cancer treatment make food poisoning more likely?

Yes, for some people. The National Cancer Institute explains that some cancer treatments lower the number of white blood cells that help your body fight infection. That can make it easier to get sick from contaminated food than it would be otherwise, which is why food safety steps matter more during treatment.

This risk isn't constant throughout treatment — it can be higher at certain points in your treatment cycle, when white blood cell counts are especially low. Because of that, some people may need to be more careful with food than others, and that can shift as treatment goes on.

The food safety steps NCI recommends can help lower this risk: cooking meat, fish, and eggs well; keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold; and being careful with raw produce, either choosing options that can be peeled or washing raw produce very well.

If you notice signs of infection, contact your care team promptly, since infections during treatment can be serious and need quick attention. Your team can also tell you whether your specific treatment raises your risk of foodborne illness and what extra precautions, if any, make sense for you.