Infection In Cancer Patients And Biofilm Formation Treatment With
Silver And Ozone

Cancer patients are at higher risk of getting serious infection thus it is important for everyone to learn and gain more information about the infections to reduce and prevent the occurrence of the problem. Fungi and infection is caused by harmful bacteria and viruses. When they invade the body, the immune system may not be able to destroy them as fast as required hence the likely hood of a person to developing cancer.

Cancer patients are more vulnerable since cancer treatment is known to weaken the body’s immune system making it vulnerable to infections. The white blood cells (leukocytes) are the body soldiers known to fight infections. The cells are produced in the bone narrow and thus when the born marrow is unable to produce enough of the white blood cells, it leads to a condition referred to leucopenia. The body is then not able to fight the infection. The white blood cells referred to as neutrophils can destroy fungi and any harmful bacteria in the body as soon as the infection is detected. When the level of the cells is low, it increases the chances of one contracting bacterial infections.

Biofilm Formation

People with cancer neutropenia are exposed and easily develop infections because the immune system is low. The infections could attack any part of the body including the skin, the mouth, the rectum, urinary tract and the genital area.

Some of the signs and symptoms include;

Fever with temperature rising up to 100.5⁰
Sweating or chills
Tooth ache , sore throat and sores in the mouth
When urinating, one may feel some burning or may be forced to increase the frequency of urinating.
Pain in the abdomen
Pain in the anal area
Sores around the anus and diarrhea
Short breath and coughs
Swelling, pain, wound or redness of parts of the body.
Unusual virginal discharge

Relieving side effect (palliative care)

This is also referred to as symptom management which is an important cancer care and treatment. This care leads to infections that could be life threatening although such infections are easily treated.

Causes

Treatment of cancer can lead to poor sleep, poor dieting, and stress. This may weaken the body and the immune system making it exposed to infections.

Chemotherapy lowers the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow hence increase the chances of infection. Radiation therapy harms the bone marrow especially if administered in areas such as the legs, the chest, the pelvis or the abdomen.

Leukemia and lymphoma are cancers that may attack the bone marrow. They overwhelm the bone marrow cells and reduce the production of the white blood cells.

Treatment

There are some preventive treatments for infections. Patients who are at risk of developing infections because of chemotherapy treatment or radiation can be exposed to prophylactic antibiotics and antifungal medications. In a case where the infection has already developed, one may be treated with antibiotics or antifungal medication. If the neutropenia is accompanied with some fever, referred to as neutropenia fever, such a patient must be hospitalized so as to receive the intravenous TV antibiotics. If you already have the neutropenia fever or you are at a higher risk of developing neutropenia fever, the doctor may prescribe colony –stimulating factors or white blood cell growth factors. This are the drugs designed to make the body to make more neutrophils and other types of white blood cells. It reduces the risks of infections such as Neulasta (pegilgrastin), Sagramostim (Leukine or prokine). It is worth noting that the doctors may not prescribe this treatment if the patient has neutropenia but does not have fever.

Biofilm formation may occur when free floating microorganisms attach themselves on the skin or any surface and secrete extracellular polymers. The biofilms may protect the bacteria and hence they are a serious health risk. A fully developed biofilm contains many layers and a matrix of EPS and a conditioning film as well as a vertical film. The vertical structures may consist of microorganisms which may come in the form of towers or mushrooms separated by interstitial spaces. These interstitial spaces allow biofilm to take in nutrients from the surrounding liquid and at the same time move the byproduct away from the biofilm.

Biofilm Formation

Ozone treatment

The ozone treatment could be used in managing biofilms. The treatment targets extracellular polysaccharides that are found on the surface and cleaves them. The ozone cuts through the biofilm and dissolves them to harmless microscopic fragments. Ozone works well because of it’s a strong oxidant and is more powerful than any other disinfectant. That is why it is used to purify water in spa and pools industry.

Silver treatment

Dr. Becker, discovered that silver ions can cause cells to dedifferentiate making them to revert back to normal cells. Studies show that when large amount of silver is taken on daily basis it is able to revert cancer symptoms. Silver generated ions kill’s bacterium by making them to differentiate and this makes them heal the wounds. Further research shows that silver effectively kills cancer cells just as chemotherapy does but has fewer side effects. Silver is better compared to Cisplatin which is currently being used to treat a variety of cancer ailments but comes with numerous side effects such as nausea and vomiting which can damage the kidney.