Skip to main content

Infection in Cancer Patients

  • Chapter
Surgical Oncology
  • 232 Accesses

Abstract

Patients with cancer are at increased risk of infection. In fact, infectious complications constitute the main obstacle to more aggressive cancer chemotherapy. Infections arise in patients with cancer because of (a) their underlying disease, (b) prolonged hospitalization and (c) cancer therapy. We will review the factors that predispose to infections in cancer, their clinical manifestations, their diagnosis and treatment and finally how to prevent them.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Amromin GD, Solomon RD (1962) Necrotizing enteropathy: a complication of treated leukemia or lymphoma patients. JAMA 182: 133–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong D, Wong B (1982) Central nervous system infections in immunocompromised hosts. Annu Rev Med 33: 293–308

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bayer AS, Edwards JE, Seidel JS, et al. (1976) Candida meningitis: report of seven cases and review of the English literature. Medicine (Baltimore) 55: 477–486

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bisno AL, Freeman JC (1970) The syndrome of asplenia, pneumococcal sepsis, renal and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Ann Intern Med 72: 389–393

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bodey GP, Buckley M, Sathe YS, Freireich EJ (1966) Quantitative relationships between circulating leucocytes and infection in patients with acute leukemia. Ann Intern Med 64: 328–340

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Browne M, Wesley R, Pass H, Potter D, Cotton D, Gress J, Roth J, Pizzo P (1985) Randomized trial of early open lung biopsy vs empiric antimicrobial therapy in cancer patients with diffuse interstitial pneumonitis. ICAAC Abstract 250

    Google Scholar 

  • Dejace P, Klastersky J (1986 a) A comparative review of combination therapy: two beta-lactams versus beta-lactam plus aminoglycoside. Am J Med 80: 29–39

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dejace P, Klastersky J (1986 b) Emergence of resistance as a consequence of antimicrobial prophylaxis in immuno-com-promised patients. Scand J Infect Dis [Suppl] 49: 165

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dejace P, Klastersky J (1986 c) Alteration of skin and mucosa leading to infections in cancer patients. Internal Medicine for the Specialist, December: 107

    Google Scholar 

  • Dejace P et al. (1985) Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia in cancer patients. 25th ICAAC, Minneapolis. Abstr no 42

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolin R, Reichman RC, Mazur MH, Withley RJ (1978) Herpes zoster-varicella infections in immunosuppressed patients. Ann Intern Med 89: 375–388

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EORTC International Antimicrobial Therapy Project Group (1978) Three antibiotic regimens in the treatment of infection in febrile neutropenic patients with cancer. J Infect Dis 137: 14–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EORTC International Antimicrobial Therapy Project Group (1984) Trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole in the prevention of infection in neutropenic patients. J Infect Dis 150: 372–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EORTC Antimicrobial Therapy Cooperative Group (1986) Prospective randomized comparison of three antibiotic regimens for empirical therapy of suspected bacteremic infection in febrile granulocytopenic patients. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 29: 263–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Feld R, Bodey GP, Greschel D (1976) Mycobacteriosis in patients with malignant disease. Arch Intern Med 136: 67–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glauser MP, McCutchan JA, Ziegler EJ, Braude A (1982) Adjuvant therapy for severe infections. In: Klastersky J, Staquet MJ, (eds) Combination antibiotic therapy in the compromised host. Raven, New York, pp 239–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho JL, Shands KN, Friedland G, Eckind P, Fraser DW (1986) An outbreak of type 4 b Listeria monocytogenes infection involving patients from 8 Boston hospitals. Arch Intern Med 146: 520–524

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hooper DC, Pruitt AA, Rubin RH (1982) Central nervous system infection in the chronically immunosuppressed. Medicine 61: 166–188

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hugues WT, Kuhn S, Chaudhary S, Feldman S, Verzosa M, Rhomes JA, Aur RJA, Pratt C, George SL (1977) Successful chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis. N Engl J Med 297: 1419–1427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johanson WG, Peirce AK, Sanford JP (1969) Changing pharyngeal bacterial flora of hospitalized patients: emergence of gram negative bacilli. N Engl J Med 281: 1137–1140

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones JM (1981) Granulomatous hepatitis due to Candida albicans in patients with acute leukemia. Ann Intern Med 94: 475–477

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan MH, Armstrong D, Rosen P (1974) Tuberculosis complicating neoplastic disease: a review of 201 cases. Cancer 33: 850–858

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan MH, Rosen PP, Armstrong D (1977) Cryptococcosis in a cancer hospital: clinical and pathological correlates in forty-six patients. Cancer 39: 2265–2274

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klastersky J (1979) Granulocyte transfusions as a therapy and a prophylaxis for infection in neutropenic patients. In: Glauser M, Klastersky J, (eds) Proceedings of a symposium on therapy and prevention of infections in cancer patients. Pergamon, Oxford, pp 15–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyman GH, Williams CC, Preston D (1980) Use of lithium carbonate to reduce infection and leukopenia during systemic chemotherapy. N Engl J Med 302: 257–260

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer RD, Rosen P, Armstrong D (1972) Phycomycosis complicating leukemia and lymphoma. Ann Intern Med 77: 871–879

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer RD, Young LS, Armstrong D, Yu B (1973) Aspergillosis complicating neoplastic diseases. Am J Med 54: 6–15

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers JD, Spencer HC Jr, Watts JC, Gregg MP, Stewart JA, Troupin RH, Thomas ED (1975) Cytomegalovirus pneumonia after human marrow transplantation. Ann Intern Med 82:181–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers JD, Leszczynski J, Zaia JA, Flournoy N, Newton B, Snydman D, Wright G, Levin M, Thomas E (1983) Prevention of cytomegalovirus infection by cytomegalovirus immune globuline after marrow transplantation. Ann Intern Med 98: 442–446

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nash G (1972) Necrotizing tracheobronchitis and bronchopneumonia consistent with herpetic infection. Hum Pathol 3: 283–291

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neu HC, Silva M, Hazen E, Rosenheim S (1967) Necrotizing nocardial pneumonitis. Ann Intern Med 66: 274–284

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nieman RE, Lorber B (1980) Listeriosis in adults, a changing pattern: report of eight cases and review of the literature, 1968–1978. Rev Infect Dis 2: 207–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzo PA, Schimpff SC (1983) Strategies for the prevention of infection in the myelosuppressed or immunosuppressed cancer patient. Cancer Treat Rep 67: 223–234

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzo PA, Robichaud KJ, Gill FA, Witebsky FG, Levine AS, Deisseroth AB, Glaubiger DL, MacLowry JD, Magrath IT, Poplack DG, Simon RM (1979) Duration of empiric antibiotic therapy in granulocytopenic patients with cancer. Am J Med 67: 194–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzo PA, Robichaud KJ, Gill FA, Witebsky FG (1982) Empiric antifungal therapy for cancer patients with prolonged fever and granulocytopenia. Am J Med 72: 101–111

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzo PA et al. (1986) A randomized trial comparing ceftazidine alone with combination antibiotic therapy in cancer patients with fever and neutropenia. N Engl J Med 315:552–558

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey PG, Fife KH, Hackman RC, Meyers JD, Corey L (1982) Herpes simplex virus pneumonia: clinical, virological and pathologic features in 20 patients. Ann Intern Med 97: 813–820

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson EP Jr (1974) Our evolving understanding of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Ann NY Acad Sci 230: 358–364

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins JB, DeVita VT Jr, Dutz W (eds) (1976) Symposium on Pneumocystis carinii infection. National Cancer Institute, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin RH, Hooper DC (1985) Central nervous system infection in the compromised host. Med Clin North Am 69: 281–296

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruskin J, Remington JS (1976) Toxoplasmosis in the compromised host. Ann Intern Med 84: 193–199

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saral R, Burns WH, Laskin OL et al. (1981) Acyclovir prophylaxis of herpes-simplex-virus infection: a randomized double-blind controlled trial in bone marrow transplant recipients. N Engl J Med 305: 63–67

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schimpff SC, Satterlee W, Yong VM, Serpick A (1971) Empiric therapy with carbenicillin and gentamicin for febrile patients with fever and granulocytopenia. N Engl J Med 284: 1061–1066

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schimpff SC, Serpick A, Stoler B, Rumack B, Mellin H, Joseph J, Block J (1972 a) Varicella-zoster infections in patients with cancer. Ann Intern Med 76: 241–254

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schimpff SC, Young VM, Greene WH, Vermeulen GD, Moudy MR, Wiernik PH (1972 b) Origin of infection in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. Significance of hospital acquisition of potential pathogens. Ann Intern Med 77: 707–714

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schimpff SC, Aisner J, Wiernik P (1979) Infection in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. The alimentary canal as a major source of pathogens. In: Van der Waaij D, Verhoef J, (eds) New criteria for antimicrobial therapy: maintenance of digestive tract colonization resistance. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp 12–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Scowden EB, Schaffner W, Stone WJ (1978) Overwhelming strongyloidiasis: an unappreciated opportunistic infection. Medicine (Baltimore) 57: 527–544

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sickles EA, Greene WH, Wiernik PH (1975) Clinical presentation of infection in granulocytopenic patients. Arch Intern Med 135: 715–719

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stamm AM, Dismukes WE, Simmons BP, Glenn Cobbs C, Elliott A, Budrich P, Harmon J (1982) Listeriosis in renal transplant recipients: report of an outbreak and review of 102 cases. Rev Infect Dis 4: 665–682

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Der Waaij D (1979) The colonization resistance of the digestive tract in experimental animals and its consequences for preventing acquisition of new bacteria and the prevention of spread of bacteria between cage mates. In: Van Der Waaij D, Verhoef J, (eds) New criteria for antimicrobial therapy: maintenance of digestive tract colonization resistance. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp 43–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Wade JC, Schimpff SC, Newman KA, Wiernik PH (1982) Staphylococcus epidermidis: an increasing cause of infection in patients with granulocytopenia. Ann Intern Med 97: 503–508

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfson JS, Sober AJ, Rubin RN (1985) Dermatologic manifestations of infections in immunocompromised patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 64: 115–133

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young LS, Armstrong D, Blevins A, et al. (1971) Nocardia asteroides infection complicating neoplastic disease. Am J Med 50: 356–367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dejace, P., Klastersky, J. (1989). Infection in Cancer Patients. In: Veronesi, U., Arnesjø, B., Burn, I., Denis, L., Mazzeo, F. (eds) Surgical Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72646-0_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72646-0_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-72648-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-72646-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics