Answer:
Many factors increase the susceptibility of immunosuppressed cancer patients to infection. Each of these is associated with a unique set of infections, although there is some overlap between predisposing factors and certain infections.
Some major factors are given below:
Step-by-step explanation:
Neutropenia remains the most common predisposing factor for infection in cancer patients.
The relationship between neutropenia and infection has been studied most extensively in patients with acute leukemia. Both the degree and the duration of neutropenia influence the development of infection.
- Cellular Immune Dysfunction
Those aspects of the immune response that are regulated by T lymphocytes or mononuclear phagocytes are collectively referred to as cell-mediated immunity.
- Humoral Immune Dysfunction
The immune response that is mediated by antibodies, which are immunoglobulins with a binding specificity for microbial antigens, is referred to as humoral immunity.
Local factors, such as tumor metastases, that produce obstruction and operative procedures that result in disruption of normal anatomic barriers play an important role in infections occurring in cancer patients. In an autopsy study of children with metastatic carcinoma, 80% of the cases of pneumonia were associated with pulmonary metastases, aspiration, or tracheostomy.
Surgically implanted central venous catheters are used extensively in patients who require frequent vascular access. These catheters (Hickman, Broviac, and long lines) can have up to three lumens, greatly facilitate a variety of functions, including the drawing of blood, and may remain in the same location for prolonged periods, ranging from several weeks to months.
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