title: Infections in patients with malignant lymphoma treated with combination chemotherapy.
abstract: The records of 360 patients with malignant lymphoma treated with various forms of combination chemotherapy from 1966 to 1974 were reviewed. A total of 181 infections was found in 125 patients. The most frequent types of infection were pneumonia (31%), skin infections (17%), urinary tract infections (13%) and septicemia (11%). An etiologic organism was was identified in 133 infections (73%). The most common causative organisms were bacteria (77%), especially gram-negative bacilli. Viral infections accounted for 18% of the infections with 21 of the 24 being due to herpes zoster. These were more frequently found in patients with Hodgkin's disease (14/21) than in the other lymphomas. Among patients with Hodgkin's disease, 53% treated with COP developed infections compared to only 27% treated with MOPP (p = 0.039). Among patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, infections were more frequent in patients treated with Adriamycin containing combinations than with COP. Neutropenia (i.e. less than 1,000 neutrophils/mm3) was associated with 35% of infections in this study and was seen more often in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (p = 0.048).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000150:complications; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents