Treatment of invasive fungal infections in cancer patients—updated recommendations of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society of Hematology and Oncology (DGHO)

• Published in: Annals of hematology Vol. 93; no. 1; pp. 13 - 32
• Main Authors: Mousset, Sabine, Buchheidt, Dieter, Heinz, Werner, Ruhnke, Markus, Cornely, Oliver A., Egerer, Gerlinde, Krüger, William, Link, Hartmut, Neumann, Silke, Ostermann, Helmut, Panse, Jens, Penack, Olaf, Rieger, Christina, Schmidt-Hieber, Martin, Silling, Gerda, Südhoff, Thomas, Ullmann, Andrew J., Wolf, Hans-Heinrich, Maschmeyer, Georg, Böhme, Angelika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amphotericin B - administration & dosage; Amphotericin B - adverse effects; Amphotericin B - therapeutic use; Antifungal Agents - administration & dosage; Antifungal Agents - adverse effects; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Candidiasis, Invasive - drug therapy; Candidiasis, Invasive - etiology; Catheter-Related Infections - drug therapy; Catheter-Related Infections - prevention & control; Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia - complications; Clinical Trials as Topic; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug Monitoring; Drug Therapy, Combination; Echinocandins - administration & dosage; Echinocandins - adverse effects; Echinocandins - therapeutic use; Fungemia - drug therapy; Fungemia - prevention & control; Hematology; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunotherapy; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis - etiology; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis - surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mycoses - drug therapy; Mycoses - etiology; Mycoses - surgery; Mycoses - therapy; Neoplasms - complications; Oncology; Original; Original Article; Salvage Therapy; Triazoles - administration & dosage; Triazoles - adverse effects; Triazoles - therapeutic use; Mycoses; Hematologic malignancies; Invasive candidiasis; Antifungal agents; Aspergillosis
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/s00277-013-1867-1

The Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society of Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) here presents its updated recommendations for the treatment of documented fungal infections. Invasive fungal infections are a main cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy regimens. In recent years, new antifungal agents have been licensed, and agents already approved have been studied in new indications. The choice of the most appropriate antifungal treatment depends on the fungal species suspected or identified, the patient’s risk factors (e.g., length and depth of neutropenia), and the expected side effects. This guideline reviews the clinical studies that served as a basis for the following recommendations. All recommendations including the levels of evidence are summarized in tables to give the reader rapid access to the information.