Abstract
Objective: There is little information on Herpes zoster infection in breast cancer patients as a complication during adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of Herpes zoster and simplex infections in this patients setting. Methods: We analyzed 623 early-stage breast cancer patients in our Institute over a period of 7 years (1998-2005). Four-hundred and sixty-onepatients were treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, 116 with CMF and 46 with taxane-containing regimens. Results: Twelve (1.9%) developed herpes zoster; 9 patients, receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy, two taxane-containing regimens, and one CMF regimen. Herpes zoster infection required treatment delay in 6 patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was delayed for 1 week in 2 patients, while in 4 patients with more severe symptoms chemotherapy was delayed for 2 weeks. One patient, despite i.v. acyclovir, had severe postherpetic motor neuropathy with a permanent ambulation impairment, and chemotherapy was stopped. In our study, herpes zoster occurred in 55/1,000 cases/year. The reported incidence in the general population varies between 2.2 and 4.1 per 1,000 patients/year; therefore, the risk of developing herpes zoster in these patients may be 13- to 25-fold higher compared to the incidence in the general population. In addition, 13 of 623 patients developed herpes simplex. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy can facilitate reactivation of herpes infection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 164-167 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Oncology |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2007 |
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Keywords
- Adjuvant chemotherapy
- Breast cancer
- Herpes infection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology
Cite this
Herpes infections in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. / Masci, Giovanna; Magagnoli, Massimo; Gullo, Giuseppe; Morenghi, Emanuela; Garassino, Isabella; Simonelli, Matteo; Santoro, Armando.
In: Oncology, Vol. 71, No. 3-4, 08.2007, p. 164-167.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Herpes infections in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy
AU - Masci, Giovanna
AU - Magagnoli, Massimo
AU - Gullo, Giuseppe
AU - Morenghi, Emanuela
AU - Garassino, Isabella
AU - Simonelli, Matteo
AU - Santoro, Armando
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - Objective: There is little information on Herpes zoster infection in breast cancer patients as a complication during adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of Herpes zoster and simplex infections in this patients setting. Methods: We analyzed 623 early-stage breast cancer patients in our Institute over a period of 7 years (1998-2005). Four-hundred and sixty-onepatients were treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, 116 with CMF and 46 with taxane-containing regimens. Results: Twelve (1.9%) developed herpes zoster; 9 patients, receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy, two taxane-containing regimens, and one CMF regimen. Herpes zoster infection required treatment delay in 6 patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was delayed for 1 week in 2 patients, while in 4 patients with more severe symptoms chemotherapy was delayed for 2 weeks. One patient, despite i.v. acyclovir, had severe postherpetic motor neuropathy with a permanent ambulation impairment, and chemotherapy was stopped. In our study, herpes zoster occurred in 55/1,000 cases/year. The reported incidence in the general population varies between 2.2 and 4.1 per 1,000 patients/year; therefore, the risk of developing herpes zoster in these patients may be 13- to 25-fold higher compared to the incidence in the general population. In addition, 13 of 623 patients developed herpes simplex. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy can facilitate reactivation of herpes infection.
AB - Objective: There is little information on Herpes zoster infection in breast cancer patients as a complication during adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of Herpes zoster and simplex infections in this patients setting. Methods: We analyzed 623 early-stage breast cancer patients in our Institute over a period of 7 years (1998-2005). Four-hundred and sixty-onepatients were treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, 116 with CMF and 46 with taxane-containing regimens. Results: Twelve (1.9%) developed herpes zoster; 9 patients, receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy, two taxane-containing regimens, and one CMF regimen. Herpes zoster infection required treatment delay in 6 patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was delayed for 1 week in 2 patients, while in 4 patients with more severe symptoms chemotherapy was delayed for 2 weeks. One patient, despite i.v. acyclovir, had severe postherpetic motor neuropathy with a permanent ambulation impairment, and chemotherapy was stopped. In our study, herpes zoster occurred in 55/1,000 cases/year. The reported incidence in the general population varies between 2.2 and 4.1 per 1,000 patients/year; therefore, the risk of developing herpes zoster in these patients may be 13- to 25-fold higher compared to the incidence in the general population. In addition, 13 of 623 patients developed herpes simplex. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy can facilitate reactivation of herpes infection.
KW - Adjuvant chemotherapy
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Herpes infection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548069384&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34548069384&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000106065
DO - 10.1159/000106065
M3 - Article
VL - 71
SP - 164
EP - 167
JO - Oncology
JF - Oncology
SN - 0030-2414
IS - 3-4
ER -