Preventing infection in patients with malignant melanoma

Preventing infection

• offer people with myeloma the seasonal influenza vaccination
  
  
• consider extending the pneumococcal vaccination to people with myeloma who are under 65
  
  
• consider intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy for people who have hypogammaglobulinaemia and recurrent infections
  
  
• consider continuing aciclovir or equivalent antiviral prophylaxis after treatment with bortezomib or other proteasome inhibitors ends
  
  
• consider aciclovir or equivalent antiviral prophylaxis for people who are taking both immunomodulatory drugs and high-dose steroids
  
  
• consider testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV before starting myeloma treatment.

Reference:

• NICE (February 2016).Myeloma