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Protocol for Long Duration Whole Body Hyperthermia in Mice
Published on: August 25, 2012
[Fever of unknown origin in malignancies]
C T Rieger1, L Peterson, H Ostermann
1Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Grosshadern, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 München. Christina.Rieger@med.uni-muenchen.de
Der Internist
|May 1, 2009
Summary
Fever in cancer patients can signal malignancy or result from chemotherapy. Differentiating neoplastic fever from infection-induced fever in neutropenic patients is crucial for timely, life-saving treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Fever is a frequent clinical manifestation in patients diagnosed with malignancies.
- It can present as an initial cancer symptom or arise as a side effect of chemotherapy.
- Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is defined as temperatures >38.3°C without a clear infectious or neoplastic cause.
Purpose:
- To highlight the importance of distinguishing neoplastic fever from fever caused by infections in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
- To emphasize the diagnostic challenges and critical management decisions in febrile neutropenic patients.
Summary:
- Hematologic malignancies frequently present with fever, necessitating differentiation from chemotherapy-induced fever.
- Chemotherapy can lead to neutropenia, increasing the risk of severe infections.
- Prompt empiric anti-infectious treatment is vital for reducing morbidity and mortality in these high-risk patients.
Impact:
- Underscores the critical need for a meticulous diagnostic work-up in febrile cancer patients.
- Advocates for considering infection as the primary cause and initiating empiric antibiotic therapy promptly.
- Aims to improve patient outcomes by guiding timely and appropriate clinical management strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Types of Fever
Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
Here are the different types of fever:
01:25Increased Body Temperature
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
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01:26Patterns of Fever
Before understanding the types and patterns of fever, it is essential to know its phases.
01:27Disorders of Leukocytes
Leukocyte disorders can lead to either leukopenia, characterized by an abnormally low leukocyte count, or leukocytosis, marked by a very high leukocyte number.
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune system...
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune system...