Making sure adults with cancer are up to date on recommended vaccinations should be a key part of their care to prevent or limit the severity of infections, the American Society of Clinical Oncology said in updated guidelines published March 18.
"Infections are the second most common cause of non-cancer-related mortality within the first year after a cancer diagnosis, with most of these deaths attributed to influenza and pneumonia, deaths that can be prevented through immunization," researchers said in the guidelines, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
In addition to flu and pneumonia, the recommendations say clinicians should ensure cancer patients stay up-to-date with vaccinations for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, Tdap or TD, hepatitis B, HPV and the recombinant zoster vaccine.
When a patient is newly diagnosed with cancer, their care teams should determine and document their vaccination status upon the first visit, and ensure they and their household contacts are up-to-date with recommended vaccines.
The guidelines are based on an expert panel's scientific literature review of more than 100 publications evaluating the safety and efficacy of vaccines used by adults with cancer and their household contacts.
The full recommendations, which also include guidance on vaccinations for patients undergoing certain treatments, can be found here.