ASCO Releases Vaccination Guidelines for Adults With Cancer – Medscape

TOPLINE:

"Optimizing vaccination status should be considered a key element in the care of patients with cancer," according to the authors of newly released American of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines. Optimizing vaccination status includes ensuring patients and household members receive recommended vaccines and adjusting this strategy depending on patients' underlying immune status and their anticancer therapy.

"Enhancing vaccine uptake against preventable illnesses will help the community and improve the quality of care for patients with cancer," the authors said. "Clinicians play a critical role in helping the patient and caregiver to understand the potential benefits and risks of recommended vaccination[s]. In addition, clinicians should provide authoritative resources, such as fact-based vaccine informational handouts and internet sites, to help patients and caregivers learn more about the topic."

Mini Kamboj, MD, with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, and Elise Kohn, MD, with the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, served as co-chairs for the expert panel. The guideline was published in March 2024 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The evidence for some vaccines in cancer patients continues to evolve, particularly for new vaccines like COVID-19 vaccines.

This research had no commercial funding. Disclosures for the guideline panel are available with the original article.

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ASCO Releases Vaccination Guidelines for Adults With Cancer - Medscape