Just as mesothelioma patients are taking a collective sigh of relief at the fading of COVID-19, health officials are sounding the alarm about this year’s flu. Those warnings are particularly important for those diagnosed with the rare and deadly form of cancer.
Mesothelioma Patients at Particular Risk from Flu
The flu poses a significant risk to anybody vulnerable to illness, but patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are particularly susceptible as a result of their weakened lungs. Chemotherapy and other treatment protocols can further compromise their immune systems.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that flu hospitalizations are at their highest level in ten years, people who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, as well as those who care for them, are being urged to exercise extra precautions and to consult with their physicians about getting a flu shot.
Flu Impacts on Those with Malignant Mesothelioma
Having the flu is a miserable experience for everybody, but for those who have malignant mesothelioma or another underlying condition, the seasonal virus can have dire consequences. Of the 120,000 people who have been hospitalized with the flu in the last few months, nine out of ten had at least one underlying medical condition. Those who are at greatest risk of serious illness or death from the flu are children under the age of 5, people over the age of 65, pregnant women, and those whose immune systems or health is compromised.
For those with malignant pleural mesothelioma — whose lungs have been weakened by their cancer and who may already have undergone surgery to remove a lung or surrounding tissue — there is a far greater risk of having influenza lead to bacterial pneumonia. The combination of flu and pneumonia is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, consult with your physician about your flu risks and how to address your particular vulnerability. For information about other resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
