Common Infections in Patients with Hematologic Neoplasms and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

Infections are common in individuals with hematologic malignancies undergoing therapy, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The incidence varies by malignancy type, disease stage, chemotherapy type, transplant kind, neutropenia length, complications like graft-versus-host disease, antimicrobials, prior infections, and immune status. Preventive pharmacotherapy for infections post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) can be ineffective and toxic. Infection control relies on T cell regeneration. T-cell immunotherapy, using donor-derived T cells targeting specific viruses, has shown promise in re-establishing immunity. Although many studies are not FDA-approved, they offer hope for enhancing immunity. Promising vaccines for respiratory viruses are under investigation but few are available.