Celebrating 10 Years of Collaboration to Prevent Infections in Cancer Patients

At Amgen, we’re committed to helping patients take on some of the toughest cancers, and we recognize that collaborations with others across the healthcare system can help us find additional ways to address the burden of this terrible disease.

As an example, this month marks the tenth anniversary of our partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the CDC Foundation on the Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program. Each year, more than half a million cancer patients in the U.S. are treated with chemotherapy, which may lead to a weakened immune system that can pose an increased risk of infection.  Infections during chemotherapy can be a serious problem, leading to treatment disruption, hospitalization, and, in the worst case, death.

The Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program was introduced in 2009 with the goal of providing evidence-based tools and resources for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to help fight back against the risk of chemotherapy-related infections. Ten years – and more than 1.5 million downloads from our web site – later, the program continues to deliver value to the cancer community and we continue to look for new ways to extend its impact. Earlier this year, for example, a Spanish-language version of the program was launched in recognition of the fact that one in three Hispanic adults are diagnosed with cancer each year.  Just this week, the program debuted its first-ever public service announcement, featuring Dr. Lisa Richardson, the Director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.

I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the last decade and look forward to continuing this partnership for many more years.

#10YearsStrong, #mycompany