Herpes zoster and more, tailor-made vaccinations for cancer patients

The challenge to cancer is through a course of treatment, which must be defined on a case-by-case basis by the specialist. But it cannot escape protection against infectious diseases that can in some way alter the health trajectory of the person with cancer, either directly or through complications linked to pathological pictures. In this sense, there are five vaccinations that should not be missing from the prevention pathway for people with cancer: anti-pneumococcal, anti-flu, anti-Herpes Zoster, anti-HPV and anti-Cvid-19. This was reported by experts at the conference La Vaccinazione nel Pazi Oncologico (Vaccination in the Oncological Patient), held at the Azienda Ospedaliera Cannizzaro in Catania. The awareness-raising initiative (which includes various tools) is promoted by the AIOM Foundation (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) as part of a tour of 10 regions in which meetings are organised with medical oncologists, patient associations and other figures from the multidisciplinary oncology team.

Every year in Sicily, cancers account for more than 26 thousand new diagnoses. They are then responsible for 36 thousand hospital admissions. But fortunately survival rates are increasing, as they are throughout the entire peninsula. "Cancer is an increasingly curable and healable disease," indicates Giuseppa Scandurra, Director of the Medical Oncology Unit at the Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania. "It becomes important to preserve the patient's health at 360 degrees, and the prevention of infectious diseases makes it possible to avoid delays or interruptions in active oncological treatment. Some pathogens can be really dangerous for people who are already dealing with a neoplasm. The disease and subsequent treatment tend, in fact, to compromise the proper functioning of our immune system'. Vaccinations, also considering the drop in immune responses linked to the pathology and in some cases to the antineoplastic therapies themselves, therefore represent a fundamental tool for preventing complications that can weigh heavily in terms of health and quality of life for the patient.

A recommendation comes from the experts. It would be important for vaccinations to be carried out in the same facilities as cancer treatment. And above all, the so-called 'vaccination hesitancy' that can accompany patients themselves or their relatives must be countered. "These fears are completely unjustified since scientific research has demonstrated the total safety of immunisations and their non-interference with therapies," Scandurra continues Protection from Herpes zoster appears important given that the disease can lead to complications such as skin dissemination, myocarditis, ulcers, and pancreatitis: "A recombinant vaccine has been available for a few years now, which is particularly indicated for people affected by solid neoplasia and undergoing various types of oncological treatment," recalls Carmelo Iacobello, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Cannizzaro Catania Hospital. Experts also point out how the consequences of influenza can be very negative and lead to acute respiratory distress syndromes or pneumonia. 'Finally, immunisation should always be suggested to both the patient and the caregivers, and the same applies to Covid-19,' Iacobello concludes. Despite its lower prevalence, the virus still represents a danger that should not be underestimated'.