Each year nearly 650,000 patients receive chemotherapy in outpatient oncology clinics in the United States. Despite advances in care, infections remain a major cause of hospitalization and death among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In fact, more than 60,000 cancer patients are hospitalized each year due to infection.
This week, CDC physician Lisa Richardson, MD, MPH, joined the line-up of CDC experts answering health questions and contributing content to WebMD Answers, an online forum where readers can type in health questions and receive answers from experts, organizations, and other members.
Richardson will be answering questions from WebMD readers about preventing infections during chemotherapy.
As part of CDC’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients Program, the following resources were created:
• Website for cancer patients and caregivers: PreventCancerInfections.org.
• Educational materials for patients, caregivers, and doctors including posters, brochures, and videos.
• The Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings that can be tailored to a clinic's needs.