CHAPTER 3. Infections in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies by Genovefa Papanicolaou, Jayesh Mehta

ABSTRACT

Hematologic malignancies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with differing clinical manifestations, disease course, response to therapy, and long-term outcome.  More intensive therapies are also being extended to older age groups and to patients with significant comorbidities which were traditionally excluded from such treatment. These intensive treatment approaches are associated with multiple complications; infections from a wide variety of pathogenic and opportunistic organisms being amongst the commonest and the most serious. Infections affect quality of life, delay potentially saving chemotherapy and pose a substantial burden for the health care system.  Infection still remains an important cause of death for patients with hematologic malignancies.