Impact of Hygiene on the Survival of Cancer Patients with Infection: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Given the high prevalence of cancer and its significant consequences on patients’ health, it is essential to examine supportive and preventive interventions alongside mainstream treatments. Thus, this structured narrative review aimed to investigate the effectiveness and mechanism of various interventions related to hand hygiene, health education, lifestyle, vaccination, and environmental hygiene in patients with cancer who have infections. These interventions focus on promoting self-efficacy, improving the quality of life (QoL), and supporting the recovery process of patients while reducing the risk of infection. Additionally, analysis of the biochemical, cellular, and behavioral mechanisms of these interventions forms part of this methodology. In the context of cancer patients with infections, vaccination and hand hygiene have the greatest direct impact on decreasing the risk and severity of infections while increasing the chances of survival. Lifestyle and environmental hygiene play an important supporting and reinforcing role in increasing the body’s resistance. Moreover, health education indirectly affects survival by improving QoL and empowering the patient. Our findings confirmed the importance of a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to cancer care. Improving hand hygiene, providing effective health education, encouraging healthy lifestyles, implementing appropriate vaccination programs, and maintaining environmental hygiene all play a critical role in reducing infections while promoting health, improving QoL, and increasing survival in cancer patients. Nonetheless, the sustained success of these interventions requires simultaneous attention to individual needs assessment, self-efficacy enhancement, practical and communication skills training, and integration into the standard care process.

Keywords: Infection, Cancer, Survival, Hygiene