Swine flu guidelines for cancer patients

Trying to navigate the onslaught of news stories about the swine flu epidemic can be confusing for anyone.  But for those who are already dealing with a serious illness such as cancer, or for those caring for cancer patients, the information can be even more confusing.  Terri Ades, director of cancer information at the American Cancer Society had helpful advice.  “For now, the only people who need to take extraordinary steps — such as wearing masks or avoiding public places — are those who have compromised immune systems, such as people with AIDS or who are having chemotherapy. Because people going through chemo are so vulnerable to infection, they’re generally advised to avoid crowded places, even without the threat of swine flu”, said Ades in a recent story for USA Today.

The Centers for Disease Control provides the following information for groups at high risk:

There are insufficient data available at this point to determine who is at higher risk for complications of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. At this time, the same age and risk groups who are at higher risk for seasonal influenza complications should also be considered at higher risk for swine-origin influenza complications . Groups at higher risk for seasonal influenza complications include:

• Children less than 5 years old;
• Persons aged 50 years or older;
• Children and adolescents (aged 6 months–18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• Pregnant women;
• Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders;
• Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV);
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.

The CDC identifies persons with lesser degrees of immunosuppression as those persons with diabetes, persons with asthma who take corticosteroids, persons who have recently received chemotherapy or radiation but who are not being cared for in a protective environment (typically defined as a specialized patient-care area with a positive airflow relative to the corridor, high-efficiency particulate air filtration, and frequent air changes) or persons infected with HIV.

General guidelines for avoiding influenza should always be followed.  These include frequent hand-washing, covering your cough, staying home when sick, and wiping down frequently used surfaces such as door handles, phones and faucets.  If you have concerns that your medical condition may warrant more stringent steps, call your physician’s office for more information.