Are Patients with Malignancy More Prone to Swine Flu Complications? Current Status and Future Strategic Plans

Shortly after detection of a new emerging swine flu, h1n1, the world health organization (who)announced that the pandemic level of phase 6 had begun. this meant that the world would face the first infectious pandemic of the twenty first century. the unique nature of this type of influenza has lead to more than 414,000 laboratory confirmed cases of h1n1 and greater than 6,000 deaths reported to who just 42 weeks after the onset of the pandemic.1 one of the main concerns since the evolution of this event has been the determination of high risk groups which could develop swine flu complications such as hospitalization, intensive care unit (icu) admission and death. since this influenza has presented with some unusual behaviors and presentation in initial reports; such as a higher rate ofhospitalization and death among younger people rather than the extremely young or elderly,2 theprediction of underlying medical conditions which make patients more susceptible for severe influenzacomplications has become confusing. it can be stated that recognition of the more susceptible populations provides us with invaluable information for establishing global, regional and national preparedness plans.