CDC Launches Comprehensive Program To Help Prevent Infections in Cancer Patients

It has been estimated that each year, 60,000 cancer patients1,2 are hospitalized for chemotherapy-related infections and one patient dies every two hours from this complication. Responding to the needs of cancer patients throughout the country and understanding the importance of effective infection control policies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has introduced a comprehensive program that raises awareness of this important public health issue. Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients focuses on providing information, action steps and tools to patients, their families, and their healthcare providers to help reduce the risk of developing potentially life-threatening infections during chemotherapy treatment.

As part of the Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program, the CDC has created:

  • 3 Steps Toward Preventing Infections During Cancer Treatment – a website for patients and caregivers featuring an interactive risk assessment tool and educational materials to help prepare, prevent and protect cancer patients against potentially life-threatening infections.
     
  • Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings – guidelines for evidence-based infection prevention practices in outpatient oncology settings, where more than one million cancer patients receive chemotherapy and radiation therapy each year.
     
  • A collection of posters, patient brochures and fact sheets to help raise awareness of this serious health concern and drive use of the program resources.

Video: View cancer survivor and healthcare professional perspectives on the importance of managing infection-risk and CDC representatives discussing the program:

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Resources for the Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program were developed by experts from the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC, in collaboration with experts in the field of oncology and infection control.  Amgen provided its oncology expertise to the CDC Foundation which the CDC considered in the development of this important resource. This program was made possible through a CDC Foundation partnership with, and funding from, Amgen.

For more information about Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients, visit www.preventcancerinfections.org or www.cdc.gov/cancer/preventinfections

  1. Caggiano V, et al. Incidence, Cost, and Mortality of Neutropenia Hospitalization Associated with Chemotherapy. Cancer. 2005; 330: 217-222
  2. Amgen data on file