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Hello, my name is Lisa Richardson, and I’m an oncologist and medical officer
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I’m pleased to speak with you today as part of the CDC Expert Video Commentary
Series on Medscape about an educational Web site aimed at reducing infections
in cancer patients—preventcancerinfections.org
As clinicians, we know that neutropenia, or low white blood cell counts,
is the most serious hematologic toxicity cancer patients face while receiving chemotherapy.
Despite advances in oncology care, infections from both community
and healthcare settings remain a major cause of hospitalization
and death among this vulnerable population.
Each year 60,000 cancer patients are hospitalized for chemotherapy-induced
neutropenia fever and infections, and one patient dies every two hours from this complication.
The impact an infection has on cancer patients serves as a reminder of how important it is
to counsel our patients about the things they can do to protect themselves.
Preventcancerinfections.org is an excellent tool you
can add to your existing patient education materials.
It encourages patients to take the right steps toward preventing infections
during chemotherapy by providing them with information, action steps, and tools.
A risk assessment for neutropenia is the Web site’s main feature.
After answering a few questions relating to type of cancer, stage, and age and other
factors a patient’s risk for developing neutropenia is determined to be either high or low.
The online tool then provides tailored information that will help your patients recognize
and respond to the signs and symptoms of possible infections as well as
how to be proactive to lower their risk for developing infections.
While this program is targeted to patients and caregivers,
it was also developed with clinicians in mind.
Once a user enters this Web site, they may continue as a patient, caregiver,
or provider by entering the appropriate portal.
The Web site’s language is then tailored to the chosen audience.
For example, the provider’s risk assessment questionnaire asks
about the patient’s Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status,
whereas the patient and caregiver’s risk assessment,
asks about their activities during the day.
If you provide care for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy,
I encourage you to visit this Web site.
There are several ways to use this tool with your patients.
You can complete the online questionnaire with your patient and provide them
with a printed copy of the questionnaire and their results, as well as tailored messages.
You also can email them this information.
Another option is to print out a PDF of the questionnaire,
complete it on your patient's behalf,
give it to your patient and encourage them to visit PreventCancerInfections.Org on their own.
And finally, visit CDC.Gov/Cancer/PreventInfections
for additional resources to share with your patients including posters and fact sheets.
We at CDC hope that this tool will help us all become better stewards for our patients
by doing all we can to prevent infections during chemotherapy.
Thank you for your time.