Abstract
Aim: Despite advances in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies, invasive fungal infection (IFI) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality during the course of these diseases. Antifungal prophylaxis is important because of the success of antileukemic treatment and reducing the risk of complications.
Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of micafungin as a prophylactic antifungal in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A total of 113 chemotherapy courses were included in the study, which included 36 patients with the diagnosis of ALL in the adult age group who received induction, reinduction or salvage therapy, and received antifungal prophylaxis with micafungin during the treatment. Micafungin 50 mg/day intravenous prophylaxis was given to all patients during induction, induction and consolidation treatments. The endpoint of the study was accepted as; treatment completion, empirical, preemptive or targeted antifungal change under prophylaxis, and death from any cause.
Results: When the results of our study are examined, the strong relationship between the presence of IFI and survival in ALL patients is remarkable at first. On the other hand; the absence of the need to discontinue treatment due to side effects or drug interactions, and the low need for preemptive antifungals have demonstrated the efficacy of micafungin prophylaxis in ALL patients.
Conclusion: An effective and reliable antifungal prophylaxis strategy is vital for this group of patients and can be life-saving.