title: Vaccination for seasonal influenza in patients with cancer: recommendations of the Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza virus causes annual epidemics in the winter-spring season with significant morbidity in the general population and important mortality in high-risk groups, including cancer patients. Opinions on the suitability of patients with malignancies not undergoing active treatment and in different phases of antineoplastic therapy, to receive influenza vaccination, vary considerably among oncologists, sometimes even within one center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed available data, including recommendations by national health authorities, on impact of influenza in patients with cancer and their capacity to mount protective immunological responses to vaccination, thus allowing, on behalf of Italian Association of Medical Oncology, to make suitable recommendations for the prevention and treatment of seasonal influenza.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with cancer often have disease- or treatment-related immunosuppression, and as a consequence, they may have a suboptimal serologic response to influenza vaccination. The protective effect of the different preparations of influenza vaccines in patients with cancer has not been widely investigated, especially in adult patients harboring solid tumors. The optimal timing for administration of influenza vaccines in patients receiving chemotherapy is also not clearly defined. However, since vaccination is the most effective method, along with antiviral drugs in selected patients, for preventing influenza infection, it has to be recommended for cancer patients. Implementing vaccination of close contacts of oncology patients would be an additional tool for enhancing protection in fragile patient populations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Hemato-oncology p.pedrazzoli@smatteo.pv.it.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoli
authors.affiliation: Molecular Virology Unit, Virology, Department of Microbiology, IRCCS Policlinico 'San Matteo' Foundation, Pavia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donatelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Castrucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, 'Giovanni Paolo II' Cancer Institute, Bari.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silvestris
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Division and Breast Unit, Sen. Antonio Perrino Hospital, Brindisi, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinieri
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines
keywords: cancer; influenza; vaccination