BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese medical researchers have discovered that patients with cancer are more susceptible to infection of the novel coronavirus, according to a recent research article in the Lancet Oncology journal.

Due to the systemic immunosuppressive state caused by the malignancy and anticancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or surgery, the cancer patients might be at increased risk of the novel coronavirus and have a poorer prognosis, said the article.

The research collected and analyzed 2,007 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection from 575 hospitals around the country, China Science Daily quoted the article on Monday.

The researchers suggested strengthening the monitoring and treatment of elderly cancer patients infected by the epidemic and those having comorbidity.

The overall confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection on the Chinese mainland had reached 70,548 by the end of Sunday, and 1,770 people had died of the disease.