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The main risk factors of infectious complications in cancer patients result from immune deficiency more or less related to cancer. Prognosis is related to the type and grade of the underlying disease. Prospective studies should be conducted to update data on the frequency of infections, morbidity and mortality (expert agreement). Prospective studies are needed to follow the epidemiology in cancer patients, particularly in neutropenic patients (expert agreement). Prospective studies should be conducted to determine prognosis factors allowing precise recognition of "low-risk" neutropenic patients with fever who could benefit from home care (expert agreement). When infection is suspected, the first criterion determining the therapeutic attitude concern signs of gravity requiring emergency care (septic shock). Beyond this situation, the first criterion determining the therapeutic attitude is the severity of the neutropenia. Microbial diagnosis is essential for initiating and later adapting anti-infectious treatment as well as for assessing efficacy.

Excepting emergency and aplasia: two to three blood samples should be draw for culture an hour apart within a 24 period (standard). For emergency or aplasia: two to three blood samples should be drawn for culture before initiating early antibiotic therapy. The delay between samples drawn from different sites should be less than one hour (standard). For patients on antibiotics: four to six blood samples should be drawn for culture within 48 hours, outside ongoing antibiotic administration. If the patient is given corticosteroids, it is recommended to draw two or three blood samples in case of deterioration (agreement of the experts). Rigorous aseptic techniques must be used (standard). Culture media are chosen according to the institution's microbial ecology (standard). The volume of blood drawn should be adapted to the system used (standard). Culture positivity is determined at 24 to 48 hours.