CDC Foundation Commemorates 10 Years of Helping Cancer Patients Prevent Infection with Launch of Innovative Communications Tools

Health communication program, supported by Amgen Oncology since 2009, has evolved with innovative tools, including virtual healthcare provider tool in English and Spanish

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CDC Foundation

Oct 23, 2019, 09:27 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The CDC Foundation commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients (PICP) program by launching new resources that provide continued and improved support to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The new educational materials include a public service announcement (PSA) and a virtual healthcare provider tool in English and Spanish: TINA and TINA en Español.

Led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation, with financial support from Amgen Oncology, PICP was developed to help lower the risk of infection during chemotherapy by providing resources to patients, caregivers and oncology providers about a serious side effect some are unaware of: neutropenia (low white blood cell count). During chemotherapy, a low white blood cell count can lead to infections, treatment delays, hospitalization and sometimes death. According to CDC data, about 650,000 cancer patients receive chemotherapy in an outpatient oncology clinic in the United States each year, and more than 100,000 are hospitalized because of this side effect.

"This program is making a difference, and we're thrilled by how we've been able to help people going through cancer treatment," said Judith Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "Our tools harness the power of pairing evidence-based content with easily-understandable resources in English and Spanish. With one in three Hispanic men and women being diagnosed with cancer each year and few Spanish-language resources existing on this topic, we believe it is important to provide this information to the Hispanic community."

One of PICP's newest resources, TINA (Talking about Infection & Neutropenia Awareness), is an innovative, interactive and evidence-based online tool that uses the power of gaming technology to create an engaging and educational experience with a virtual physician. TINA provides a personalized learning experience in both English and Spanish for patients, and a role-playing and training opportunity in English for providers to develop best practices for communicating with their patients. Usage data collected show that patients who complete TINA have a greater understanding and comfort with the risks of neutropenia and infection and what they can do to stay safe.

"Chemotherapy treatment introduces a dangerous risk of infection for cancer patients," said Darryl Sleep, MD, senior vice president, Global Medical and chief medical officer at Amgen. "The PICP program has made a meaningful difference by providing resources that truly help improve the cancer patient experience. At Amgen, we're proud of the work we've been able to accomplish in partnership with the CDC Foundation, as we believe collaborations such as this are crucial to improving the health of cancer patients."

Visit PreventCancerInfections.org today and find out why more than 1.5 million resources have been downloaded from PICP's flagship website.

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC's critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $740 million. The CDC Foundation managed over 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to helping patients take on some of the toughest cancers, such as those that have been resistant to drugs, those that progress rapidly through the body and those where limited treatment options exist. Amgen's supportive care treatments help patients combat certain side effects of strong chemotherapy, and its targeted medicines and immunotherapies focus on more than a dozen different malignancies, ranging from blood cancers to solid tumors. With decades of experience providing therapies for cancer patients, Amgen continues to grow its portfolio of innovative and biosimilar oncology medicines.

SOURCE CDC Foundation