Abstract
Invasive fungal infection (IFI) causes morbidity and mortality among patients with hematological malignancies who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We evaluated the incidence and treatment outcomes of proven and probable IFI in 22 institutions between 2006 and 2008 following the recent European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycosis Study Group (EORTC/MSG) consensus criteria. We analyzed 2,821 patients with hematological malignancies, including 597 who had undergone HSCT; these included patients with acute leukemia (n = 697), myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 284), lymphoma (n = 1465), or multiple myeloma (n = 375). IFIs were diagnosed in 38 (1.3%) patients (18 proven and 20 probable), including 20 patients who underwent HSCT and 18 who received chemotherapy alone; these included patients with aspergillosis (n = 23), candidiasis (n = 6), mucormycosis (n = 6), trichosporonosis (n = 2), and geotrichosis (n = 1). The incidence of IFI was 5.4 % in allogeneic HSCT patients, 0.4 % in autologous HSCT patients, and 0.8 % in patients receiving chemotherapy alone. Eighteen patients with aspergillosis were diagnosed with probable pulmonary IFI as determined by computed tomography scan and positive galactomannan assay. Overall, antifungal targeted therapies resulted in successful outcomes in 60.0 % of patients. IFI-attributable mortality rate was higher in HSCT patients than in those receiving chemotherapy alone, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pagano L, Caira M, Candoni A, Offidani M, Fianchi L, Martino B, et al. The epidemiology of fungal infections in patients with hematologic malignancies: the SEIFEM-2004 study. Haematologica. 2006;91:1068–75.
Chamilos G, Luna M, Lewis RE, Bodey GP, Chemaly R, Tarrand JJ, et al. Invasive fungal infections in patients with hematologic malignancies in a tertiary care cancer center: an autopsy study over a 15-year period (1989–2003). Haematologica. 2006;91:986–9.
Pagano L, Caira M, Nosari A, Van Lint MT, Candoni A, Offidani M, et al. Fungal infections in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplants: results of the SEIFEM B-2004 study–Sorveglianza Epidemiologica Infezioni Fungine Nelle Emopatie Maligne. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;45:1161–70.
Neofytos D, Horn D, Anaissie E, Steinbach W, Olyaei A, Fishman J, et al. Epidemiology and outcome of invasive fungal infection in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: analysis of Multicenter Prospective Antifungal Therapy (PATH) Alliance registry. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;48:265–73.
Orasch C, Weisser M, Mertz D, Conen A, Heim D, Christen S, et al. Comparison of infectious complications during induction/consolidation chemotherapy versus allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transpl. 2010;45:521–6.
Kontoyiannis DP, Lionakis MS, Lewis RE, Chamilos G, Healy M, Perego C, et al. Zygomycosis in a tertiary-care cancer center in the era of Aspergillus-active antifungal therapy: a case-control observational study of 27 recent cases. J Infect Dis. 2005;191:1350–60.
Marr KA, Seidel K, Slavin MA, Bowden RA, Schoch HG, Flowers ME, et al. Prolonged fluconazole prophylaxis is associated with persistent protection against candidiasis-related death in allogeneic marrow transplant recipients: long-term follow-up of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Blood. 2000;96:2055–61.
Kume H, Yamazaki T, Togano T, Abe M, Tanuma H, Kawana S, Okudaira M. Epidemiology of visceral mycoses in autopsy cases in Japan: comparison of the data from 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007 in annual of pathological autopsy cases in Japan. Med Mycol J. 2011;2011(52):117–27.
Auberger J, Lass-Flörl C, Ulmer H, Nogler-Semenitz E, Clausen J, Gunsilius E, et al. Significant alterations in the epidemiology and treatment outcome of invasive fungal infections in patients with hematological malignancies. Int J Hematol. 2008;88:508–15.
De Pauw B, Walsh TJ, Donnelly JP, Stevens DA, Edwards JE, Calandra T, et al. Revised definitions of invasive fungal disease from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) Consensus Group. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:1813–21.
Ikuta K, Torimoto Y, Yamamoto M, Okamura N, Hosoki T, Sato K, et al. Successful treatment of systemic Geotrichum capitatum infection by liposomal amphotericin-B, itraconazole, and voriconazole in a Japanese man. Intern Med. 2010;49:2499–503.
Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B, Bennett JE, Bille J, Crokaert F, et al. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis. 2002;34:7–14.
Yonezumi M, Kurosawa M, Fukuhara T. Low sensitivity of the (1-3)-beta-D-glucan assay for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in hematologic malignancy patients [abstract]. Blood. 2009;114: 884. Abstract 2242.
Pazos C, Pontón J, Del Palacio A. Contribution of (1– >3)-beta-D-glucan chromogenic assay to diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of invasive aspergillosis in neutropenic adult patients: a comparison with serial screening for circulating galactomannan. J Clin Microbiol. 2005;43:299–305.
Hachem RY, Kontoyiannis DP, Chemaly RF, Jiang Y, Reitzel R, Raad I. Utility of galactomannan enzyme immunoassay and (1, 3) beta-D-glucan in diagnosis of invasive fungal infections: low sensitivity for Aspergillus fumigatus infection in hematologic malignancy patients. J Clin Microbiol. 2009;47:129–33.
Kawazu M, Kanda Y, Nannya Y, Aoki K, Kurokawa M, Chiba S, et al. Prospective comparison of the diagnostic potential of real-time PCR, double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for galactomannan, and a (1– >3)-beta-D-glucan test in weekly screening for invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological disorders. J Clin Microbiol. 2004;42:2733–41.
Kontoyiannis DP, Lewis RE. How I treat mucormycosis. Blood. 2011;118:1216–24.
Pagano L, Mancinelli M, Caira M, Valentini CG. Antifungal treatments for proven invasive fungal diseases in patients with hematological malignancy. Eur J Clin Med Oncol. 2011;3:16–24.
Richardson M, Lass-Flörl C. Changing epidemiology of systemic fungal infections. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2008;14(Suppl 4):5–24.
Nivoix Y, Velten M, Letscher-Bru V, Moghaddam A, Natarajan-Amé S, Fohrer C, et al. Factors associated with overall and attributable mortality in invasive aspergillosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;47:1176–84.
Upton A, Kirby KA, Carpenter P, Boeckh M, Marr KA. Invasive aspergillosis following hematopoietic cell transplantation: outcomes and prognostic factors associated with mortality. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;44:531–40.
Pagano L, Caira M, Offidani M, Martino B, Candoni A, Valentini CG, et al. Adherence to international guidelines for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in acute myeloid leukaemia: feasibility and utility (SEIFEM-2008B study). J Antimicrob Chemother. 2010;65:2013–8.
Perkhofer S, Lass-Flörl C, Hell M, Russ G, Krause R, Hönigl M, et al. The Nationwide Austrian Aspergillus Registry: a prospective data collection on epidemiology, therapy and outcome of invasive mould infections in immunocompromised and/or immunosuppressed patients. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2010;36:531–6.
Michallet M, Ito JI. Approaches to the management of invasive fungal infections in hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic cell transplantation. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27:3398–409.
Yoshida M, Tsubaki K, Kobayashi T, Tanimoto M, Kuriyama K, Murakami H, et al. Infectious complications during remission induction therapy in 577 patients with acute myeloid leukemia in the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group studies between 1987 and 1991. Int J Hematol. 1999;70:261–7.
Asano-Mori Y. Fungal infections after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Int J Hematol. 2010;91:576–87.
Fukuda T, Boeckh M, Carter RA, Sandmaier BM, Maris MB, Maloney DG, et al. Risks and outcomes of invasive fungal infections in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants after nonmyeloablative conditioning. Blood. 2003;102:827–33.
Imataki O, Kami M, Kim SW, Gotoh M, Komaba S, Kasai M, et al. A nationwide survey of deep fungal infections and fungal prophylaxis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Japan. Bone Marrow Transpl. 2004;33:1173–9.
Kontoyiannis DP, Marr KA, Park BJ, Alexander BD, Anaissie EJ, Walsh TJ, et al. Prospective surveillance for invasive fungal infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, 2001–2006: overview of the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network (TRANSNET) Database. Clin Infect Dis. 2010;50:1091–100.
Marr KA, Crippa F, Leisenring W, Hoyle M, Boeckh M, Balajee SA, et al. Itraconazole versus fluconazole for prevention of fungal infections in patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplants. Blood. 2004;103:1527–33.
van Burik JA, Ratanatharathorn V, Stepan DE, Miller CB, Lipton JH, Vesole DH, et al. Micafungin versus fluconazole for prophylaxis against invasive fungal infections during neutropenia in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:1407–16.
Walsh TJ, Anaissie EJ, Denning DW, Herbrecht R, Kontoyiannis DP, Marr KA, et al. Treatment of aspergillosis: clinical practice guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:327–60.
Cornely OA, Maertens J, Bresnik M, Ebrahimi R, Ullmann AJ, Bouza E, et al. Liposomal amphotericin B as initial therapy for invasive mold infection: a randomized trial comparing a high-loading dose regimen with standard dosing (AmBiLoad trial). Clin Infect Dis. 2007;44:1289–97.
Pappas PG, Kauffman CA, Andes D, Benjamin DK Jr, Calandra TF, Edwards JE Jr, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of candidiasis: 2009 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;48:503–35.
Marr KA, Boeckh M, Carter RA, Kim HW, Corey L. Combination antifungal therapy for invasive aspergillosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:797–802.
Chamilos G, Lewis RE, Kontoyiannis DP. Delaying amphotericin B-based frontline therapy significantly increases mortality among patients with hematologic malignancy who have zygomycosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;47:503–9.
Rieger CT, Huppmann S, Peterson L, Rieger H, Ostermann H. Classification of invasive fungal disease in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. Mycoses. 2011;54:e92–8.
Tsitsikas DA, Morin A, Araf S, Murtagh B, Johnson G, Vinnicombe S, et al. Impact of the revised (2008) EORTC/MSG definitions for invasive fungal disease on the rates of diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. Med Mycol. 2012;50:538–42.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the members of the Hokkaido Hematology Study Group.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Kurosawa, M., Yonezumi, M., Hashino, S. et al. Epidemiology and treatment outcome of invasive fungal infections in patients with hematological malignancies. Int J Hematol 96, 748–757 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-012-1210-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-012-1210-y