Evidence map›Paper›PMID 12180483›Full record

ArticleMedical oncology (Northwood, London, England)2002

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy show adequate serological response to vaccinations against influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Tone Nordøy, Ingeborg S Aaberge, Anne Husebekk, Helvi H Samdal, Svein Steinert, Hasse Melby, Arne Kolstad

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England), 2002. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 107 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Vaccines for preventing infections in adults with solid tumours.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Influenza vaccines in immunosuppressed adults with cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
    Pooled it
  3. Influenza vaccines in immunosuppressed adults with cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013
    Pooled it
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  18. Factors associated with pneumococcal vaccination uptake by cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tone NordøyDepartment Oncology, University Hospital of Tromsø, Norway. tonen@fagmed.uit.no
Ingeborg S Aaberge
Anne Husebekk
Helvi H Samdal
Svein Steinert
Hasse Melby
Arne Kolstad
University Hospital of North Norway · NOFafo Foundation · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are prone to develop infections that might postpone treatment and lead to complications. The aim of our study was to investigate whether a heterogeneous population of patients with solid tumors and malignant lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy would respond serologically to vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease. There are no established routines in oncology departments in Norway regarding vaccination of these patients. The study included 35 cancer patients with median age 53 yr (range 20-74) and 38 controls with median age 57 yr (range 43-75). The chemotherapy regimens used were mild or moderately immunosuppressive. After one vaccination, 25 patients (72%) and 34 controls (87%) were serologically protected against two or three influenza strains. A higher proportion of patients with solid tumors (81%) than lymphoma (38%) achieved protection. Age, months on chemotherapy, and curative versus palliative treatment did not influence responses to vaccination. After vaccination with a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine against pneumococci, most patients and controls achieved protective serum levels of antibodies against the different serotypes, with the exception that fewer patients were protected against serotype 4. The responses in controls were, however, generally stronger to all serotypes. Tumor type did not influence this vaccination response. We conclude that our cancer patients achieved adequate responses to influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These are not live vaccines and are therefore safe for immunocompromised patients. Routine vaccinations against influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae should be considered in cancer patients undergoing mild to moderately immunosuppressive chemotherapy.

Indexed as

AdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunosuppression TherapyInfluenza, HumanInfluenza VaccinesMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsNorwayPneumococcal InfectionsPneumococcal VaccinesStreptococcus pneumoniaeImmunoglobulin GInfluenza VaccinesPneumococcal Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID12180483
OpenAlexW2020073562

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.