Oncology Section

The Oncology Section addresses infection prevention for those undergoing cytotoxic and myelosuppressive cancer treatments, as well as immunosuppression caused by the use of high-dose steroids and radiation therapy, and the frequent use of invasive devices such as central venous catheters and other devices that penetrate the skin to divert body function around cancer processes. Oncology infection prevention must also address the added risk to surgical procedures in light of potential immunosuppression, irradiated tissue, and tumor loads.

Oncology patients are more likely to develop preventable infections than the immunocompetent population, and because these infections are harder to treat, enhanced prevention techniques and specialized environmental controls are often necessary and must be targeted for certain cancer populations (solid tumors, hematological malignancies, and cellular therapy, including hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

Join the Oncology Section – get involved today.

• Oncology MyAPIC Community – connect with members working or interested in oncology to get answers to your most pressing issues. You can post a question or engage in this community 24/7. Participation is restricted to current members of this section.

To join the Oncology community, contact APIC membership at membership@apic.org.