Caspofungin for the treatment of candidaemia in patients with haematological malignancies
L Pagano, L Fianchi, R Fanci, A Candoni, M Caira, B Posteraro, M Morselli, C G Valentini, G Farina, M E Mitra, M Offidani, M Sanguinetti, M E Tosti, A Nosari, G Leone, P Viale, L Pagano, L Fianchi, R Fanci, A Candoni, M Caira, B Posteraro, M Morselli, C G Valentini, G Farina, M E Mitra, M Offidani, M Sanguinetti, M E Tosti, A Nosari, G Leone, P Viale
Abstract
This study was prospectively conducted in 11 haematology divisions over a 2-year period to evaluate the efficacy of caspofungin in 24 neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies (HM) and candidaemia. These patients had received chemotherapy for HM and were neutropenic (PNN < 0.5 x 10(9)/L) for a median of 12 days (2-41) before candidaemia. The patients received caspofungin for a median duration of 12 days (range 6-26), obtaining a favourable overall response of 58%. At 30 days, 11 patients had died (46%); candidaemia was responsible for mortality in six patients (25%). These results suggest that treatment of candidaemia with caspofungin in neutropenic HM was efficacious, as it is in non-haematological subgroups.
Source: PubMed