Current Epidemiology and Prevention of Infectious Complications in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Infections represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, especially those patients receiving intensive chemotherapy or undergoing stem cell transplant. The changing epidemiological patterns of infections in cancer patients are characterised not only by the increasing incidence of some opportunistic pathogens, but also by the wide emergence of resistance to antimicrobials, particularly in bacteria. The management of these complications has improved greatly during the past decades, especially in the field of antimicrobial prophylaxis. In the last few years, new antimicrobial drugs have been investigated, with the aim of defining new strategies for prophylaxis against bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Based on the new evidence, international guidelines on antimicrobial prophylaxis have been recently updated, and targeted prophylaxis schedules have been proposed for different clinical settings. In the practice of antimicrobial prophylaxis, it is crucial to continuously keep abreast of new epidemiological data in order to monitor the emerging antimicrobial resistances and define tailored prevention strategies.