|
|
Article: Infection and Sepsis
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Infection and sepsis
Description
Infection is characterized by an inflammatory response to the presence of microorganisms in the body. This response may include
fever
, chills, redness, swelling, pus formation and other responses. The most common cause of illness and death in patients with cancer is infection. Patients with cancer who are treated with
chemotherapy
,
radiation therapy
, and/or surgery are at increased risk of developing an infection. Mortality, or death, from infection in cancer patients decreased during the late 1900s due to the development of new types of
antibiotics
, the use of hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) which activate proliferation (multiplication) and ...