Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients | Cancer

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cdc-main" role="main" aria-label="Main Content Area"> <section class="cdc-page-title-bar cdc-page-offset noindex"> <time class="cdc-page-title-bar__item cdc-page-title-bar__item--date" datetime="2024-11-14 05:00:00"> November 14, 2024 </time> <div data-alt-langs class="cdc-page-title-bar__item cdc-page-title-bar__item--languages"> <a class="cdc-page-title-bar__item" href="/cancer/es/features/preventing-infections.html">Español</a> </div> </section> <div class="cdc-page-title cdc-page-offset syndicate"> <h1>Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients</h1> </div> <div id="content" class="cdc-page-content cdc-page-offset syndicate container"> <div class="cdc-dfe-body "> <div class="cdc-dfe-body__top "> <div class="dfe-section dfe-section--page-summary summary-blurb summary-paragraph" data-section="cdc_generic_summary"> <div class="dfe-section__header"> <h2 class="editor-block--title" id="heading-r-7hvigy4h">What to know</h2> </div> <div class="dfe-section__content"> <p>Call your doctor right away if you get a fever or feel sick during your chemotherapy treatment.</p> <div class="dfe-section__nav hide" id="dfe-section__nav"> <div class="dfe-section__nav__header" id="dfe-section__nav__header"> </div> <div class="dfe-section__nav-links" id="dfe-section__nav-links"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dfe-section__image" id="page-summary-image"> <figure class="dfe-image dfe-image__large"><div class="image-container calculated-ratio-16-9 aspect-ratio-16-9"><img src="/cancer/media/images/woman-chemo-1200x675-1.jpg" alt="a cancer patient who has received chemotherapy" title="Woman Chemo"></div></figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cdc-dfe-body__center "> <div class="dfe-section" data-section="cdc_generic_section_1"> <a class="onThisPageAnchor" id="cdc_generic_section_1-overview" name="Overview" title="Overview"></a><h2 class="editor-block--title" id="heading-vilq_snq75">Overview</h2> <p>People with cancer who are treated with chemotherapy are more likely to get infections. Your immune system helps your body protect itself from getting an infection. Cancer and chemotherapy can damage this system by reducing the number of infection-fighting white blood cells. This condition is called neutropenia.</p> <p>An infection can lead to <a href="/sepsis/about/index.html">sepsis</a>, the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency.</p> <p>Find out from your doctor when your white blood cell count is likely to be lowest, since this is when you’re most at risk for infection. This usually occurs between 7 and 12 days after you finish each chemotherapy dose, and may last as long as one week.</p> <h3 id="heading-_z2tefeoxn">Mask Up, Lather Up, and Sleeve Up</h3> <div class="dfe-block dfe-block--cdcmodule cdc_ref_youtube dfe-block--width-standard"><div class="dfe-block__inner"> <div class="cdc-youtube-embed" data-yt-id="zFm1GE1TVC8"> <iframe src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zFm1GE1TVC8?autohide=0&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0&origin=https://www.cdc.gov?autohide=0&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0&origin=https://www.cdc.gov&wmode=opaque?enablejsapi=1" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" title=""></iframe> <noscript> <div class="noscript"> <a href="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zFm1GE1TVC8?autohide=0&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0&origin=https://www.cdc.gov?autohide=0&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0&origin=https://www.cdc.gov&wmode=opaque?enablejsapi=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a> </div> </noscript> </div> </div></div><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFm1GE1TVC8" class="">This video</a> lists steps you can take to protect yourself and others from respiratory illnesses like flu and COVID-19.</p> </div> <div class="dfe-section" data-section="cdc_generic_section_2"> <a class="onThisPageAnchor" id="cdc_generic_section_2-how-to-prevent-infections-during-your-cancer-treatment" name="How%20to%20prevent%20infections%20during%20your%20cancer%20treatment" title="How to prevent infections during your cancer treatment"></a><h2 class="editor-block--title" id="heading-byck_bomgr">How to prevent infections during your cancer treatment</h2> <h3 id="heading-odq0hdcagp">Watch out for fever</h3> <p><strong>If you get a <a href="/cancer-preventing-infections/patients/fever.html">fever</a> during your chemotherapy treatment, it's a medical emergency.</strong> Take your temperature any time you feel warm, flushed, chilled, or not well. Call your doctor right away if you have a temperature of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher.</p> <h3 id="heading-cgohssls4v">Wash your hands often</h3> <p><strong><a href="/cancer-preventing-infections/patients/clean-hands.html">Clean hands</a> help prevent infections.</strong> You and anyone who comes around you, including family members, doctors, and nurses, also should wash their hands often. Don't be afraid to ask people to wash their hands.</p> <h3 id="heading-tsw2hsx59x">Know the symptoms of infection</h3> <p><strong>Call your doctor right away if you notice any <a href="/cancer-preventing-infections/patients/symptoms.html">symptoms of an infection,</a></strong> such as a fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, redness or swelling in any area, diarrhea, or vomiting.</p> </div> </div> <div class="cdc-dfe-body__right page-right-rail"> <aside class="page-right-rail__static noindex" role="complementary"> <div class="on-this-page " data-sid=""> <h2 class="on-this-page__heading"> On This Page </h2> <div class="card-body"> <ul> <li><a href="#cdc_generic_section_1-overview">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="#cdc_generic_section_2-how-to-prevent-infections-during-your-cancer-treatment">How to prevent infections during your cancer treatment</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </aside> <aside class="page-right-rail__dynamic noindex" role="complementary"> <div data-related-nav></div> </aside> 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