title: Case series of patients with Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteremia with emphasis on the presence of cancer.
abstract: Fusobacterium nucleatum is anaerobic oral microbiota that might be associated with cancer. We reported 22 consecutive cases of patients (mean age of 63.8 years (range 34-89), 59.1% male) with F. nucleatum bacteremia that were admitted to a university hospital over a 10-year period. In 17 (77.2%) of these patients, F. nucleatum was the sole possible pathogen. Seven of the 22 patients (31.8%) had active cancer: esophagus carcinoma (n = 3), hematologic malignancies (n = 1), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 1), melanoma (n = 1), and breast cancer (n = 1). In six out of seven patients (85.7%), the F. nucleatum was found within six months of the diagnosis of cancer. Four of seven (57.1%), patients with cancer were on chemotherapy. Three of 22 patients (13.4%) died within 1 month of F. nucleatum bacteremia due to cancer. In conclusion, F. nucleatum bacteremia occurs rarely and when it is found, it is often in patients with cancer, especially those with a recent diagnosis.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (University Hospital Brussels), Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: angga.yusuf@gmail.com.
authors: Erlangga
authors: E
authors: Yusuf
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (University Hospital Brussels), Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Ingrid
authors: I
authors: Wybo
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (University Hospital Brussels), Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Denis
authors: D
authors: Piérard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Anaerobes; Bacteremia; Cancer; Epidemiology; Fusobacterium nucleatum