Infection Prevention​

Sepsis is a major threat to blood cancer patients, affecting 10% to 25% of individuals undergoing treatment. It is the leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for this patient group, carrying a staggering short-term mortality rate of 30% and accounting for 15% of all cancer-related healthcare costs.

While ICU survival rates for blood cancer patients with sepsis improved in the early 2000s, progress has unfortunately plateaued. For survivors, sepsis often causes long-term functional limitations and forces patients to delay or completely stop their vital cancer treatments. Improving how we prevent these life-threatening infections is one of our highest priorities.

Infections are a major threat to blood cancer patients. Sepsis (a consequence of severe infection) affects 10% to 25% of individuals undergoing blood cancer treatment, is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and accounts for 15% of all cancer-related healthcare costs. Severe sepsis has a short-term mortality rate of 30%. Survival for blood cancer patients with severe sepsis improved in the 2000s and 2010s, but progress has plateaued.

For survivors, sepsis and other infections often cause long-term functional limitations and force patients to delay or completely stop their vital cancer treatments. Improving how we prevent life-threatening infections is one of our highest priorities.

The Infection prevention stream aims to identify safe, effective, and feasible strategies to reduce infections. We also aim to more clearly characterise infection risks and outcomes in emerging patient groups, and to assess the impact of infection prevention on a range of outcomes including overall quality of life, the gut microbiome, and antimicrobial resistance.

The infection prevention stream will have three key research areas. First, population wide studies investigating vaccine-preventable infections, such as pneumonia, herpes zoster (shingles), influenza and others, to identify the burden of infections, timing and access to vaccines, and strategies to improve vaccine coverage. Second, a pilot RCT exploring prophylaxis strategies in people receiving novel, lower-intensity cancer care regimens including those treated at home. Third, the MRFF-funded IVCare platform trial will investigate strategies for preventing infections relating to indwelling catheters.

Across all the research areas of the Infection Prevention Stream, we will also explore overall patterns of risk and outcomes for specific infection types and patient groups to better understand infection prevention needs in patients with blood cancer. Studies will be informed by our collaborations across the microbiome and symptom control streams, with outcome designed to better understand the interactions between infection, microbiome health and quality of life.