Epidemiology and risk factors for invasive fungal infections during induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia: A retrospective cohort study

This study investigated the epidemiology and risk factors associated with invasive fungal infections (IFIs) during induction chemotherapy in a cohort of Taiwanese patients with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). IFIs are a significant complication in the management of immunocompromised cancer patients; such infections are associated with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality, particularly in many South-Asian countries, where IFI rates are increasing. We retrospectively analyzed IFI incidence data from 105 patients with newly diagnosed AML at a single center undergoing their first course of induction chemotherapy without primary antifungal prophylaxis between November 2008 and December 2014. Of 21 cases documented as proven/provable IFIs 16 (76%) were invasive aspergillosis, 2 (10%) were mucormycosis infections, and 3 (14%) were proven yeast infections. The lung was the most commonly affected site (n = 16; 76%); 2 patients (10%) developed fungal sinusitis. IFI cases were more often males (P = 0.020). In multivariate analysis, patients with neutropenia lasting>30 days were more than twice as likely to develop IFI (OR, 2.24 [95% CI, 2.81–31.11], P<0.001). We also confirmed patients with smoker and receiving parenteral nutrition during chemotherapy were significant associated with IFIs. Our findings suggest that antifungal prophylaxis should be considered for patients with AML during induction chemotherapy, particularly in patients from Southeastern Asia, an area of potentially high IFI rates. We recommend that clinicians determine which patients receiving induction chemotherapy for AML are at high risk of developing IFI, to allow for targeted therapeutic prophylaxis.