Prevalence and treatment management of oropharyngeal candidiasis in cancer patients: results of the French CANDIDOSCOPE study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this pharmaco-epidemiological study was to evaluate the prevalence of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Signs and symptoms of OPC were noted for all patients. Antifungal therapeutic management was recorded in OPC patients. Patients receiving local antifungal treatments were monitored until the end of treatment. RESULTS: Enrolled in the study were 2,042 patients with solid tumor and/or lymphoma treated with chemotherapy and/or another systemic cancer treatment and/or radiotherapy. The overall prevalence of OPC was 9.6% (95% confidence interval, 8.4%-11.0%] in this population. It was most frequent in patients treated with combined chemoradiotherapy (22.0%) or with more than two cytotoxic agents (16.9%). Local antifungal treatments were prescribed in 75.0% of OPC patients as recommended by guidelines. The compliance to treatment was higher in patients receiving once-daily miconazole mucoadhesive buccal tablet (MBT; 88.2%) than in those treated with several daily mouthwashes of amphotericin B (40%) or nystatin (18.8%). CONCLUSION: OPC prevalence in treated cancer patients was high. Local treatments were usually prescribed as per guidelines. Compliance to local treatments was better with once-daily drugs.

[Use of complementary medicine by cancer patients in a French oncology department]. / Utilisation de médecine complémentaire chez les patients atteints de cancer dans un service de cancérologie français.

The aims of this study was to estimate and describe the reasons of use of complementary medicine in patients with a cancer treated in a French oncology department. An anonymous questionnaire was proposed to patients during treatment or follow-up in an oncology department. It was a descriptive study over 207 questionnaires. Over 195 analysable questionnaires, 34% of patients were using complementary medicine. Homeopathy (42%), plants (27%) and vitamins (18%) were the main substances used. Acupuncture (22%) and massages (15%) were the most significant techniques. No specific profile of user was observed. The main reason of using complementary medicine was not curing cancer but reducing side effects of the conventional treatment (66%). More than a half of the users of complementary medicine were not revealing their habits to their oncologist because the question was not raised in consultation. One third of cancer patients are using complementary medicine during the treatment of their disease. Complementary medicine must benefit, as well as conventional medicine, of scientific studies. The purpose of these studies should be evaluating potential benefits, toxicity and interactions with the conventional treatment in order the oncologist could warned the users. This warning could improve the confidence relationship between the oncologist and his patient.