Fungal infections in cancer patients.
Invasive fungal infections (IFI) have become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Infections with these organisms are often difficult to diagnose and treat. Appropriate and timely diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and invasive procedures, including biopsy, to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment may be difficult, secondary to variable susceptibility and difficulty with exact and specific characterization of the fungal pathogen. The pathogens that are seen range from yeasts to invasive molds. Fortunately newer, noninvasive diagnostic techniques are available to aid in the diagnosis and treatments have become better tolerated and more efficacious.
Division of Infectious Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 645 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 900, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA, m-angarone@northwestern.edu.
Michael
M
Angarone
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005658:Fungi / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
D000935:Antifungal Agents