Infections in People With Cancer

Cancer itself can increase your risk of getting a serious infection. So can certain types of cancer treatment. By learning more about infections, you and your family may be able to help prevent problems that they can cause. Click on the topics below to get started.

---

• What are infections and who is at risk?
• How does the body normally resist infections?
• What risk factors make people with cancer more likely to get infections?
• Immune suppression, leukopenia, and neutropenia
• Problems due to the cancer
• Poor nutrition
• Cancer treatment and infection risk
• Neutropenia and risk of serious infection
• How does the doctor know what kind of infection a person with cancer has?
• What kinds of germs cause infections in people with cancer?
• What can people with cancer do to prevent infections?
• Immunizations and live virus vaccines
• Precautions you can take
• Using medicines to prevent infections
• What signs of infection should people with cancer watch for?
• How is infection treated in people with cancer?
• To learn more
• References