A review of the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections in Asian patients with hematological malignancies (2011-2021).

The incidence of invasive fungal infection (IFI) is increasing, especially among patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies due to their immunocompromised nature. Other risk factors include advanced age, exposure to immunosuppressants, neutropenia, and catheter use. Some of the most common IFI organisms reported are Candida and Aspergillus species, and other fungal species, including Scedosporium, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus, and Fusarium have also increasingly been reported in the past years. However, the epidemiologic data on IFI among patients with hematological malignancies in Asian countries are lacking. Therefore, we investigated published epidemiologic data on such cases from the past 10 years (2011-2021) and discuss the challenges faced in the diagnosis and management of IFIs in Asia.

Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheter-Related Complications in Adult Patients with Haematological Malignancy.

Background: Peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICC) are widely used in patients with haematological malignancies owing to the requirement for prolonged intravenous therapy. However, the growing use of PICCs has resulted in a multitude of complications such as infections and thrombosis, leading to prolonged hospitalisation periods and increased morbidity. This study aimed to determine the incidence of and factors associated with PICC-related complications in patients with haematological malignancies. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a single academic institution. The inclusion criteria involved all adult patients with haematological malignancies who had newly inserted PICCs. The patients were observed for a minimum duration of 60 days to evaluate the incidence of PICC-related infections and thrombosis, as well as mechanical complications. Results: A total of 119 PICCs were implanted in 85 patients. Among them, more than half of the patients were diagnosed with lymphoma (55.0%). The median dwell time was 61 days (interquartile range: 98 days). The incidence of PICC-related complications was 58.0% (6.9 per 1,000 catheter-days). Specifically, 43 PICCs (36.1%, 4.3 per 1,000 catheter-days) experienced infective complications, 25 (21.1%, 2.5 per 1,000 catheter-days) encountered mechanical complications and 1 (0.8%, 0.1 per 1,000 catheter-days) exhibited thrombotic complications. Furthermore, an underlying diagnosis of acute leukaemia was significantly associated with a higher incidence of PICC-related infections. Conclusion: Our study revealed higher incidence rates of PICC-related complications in adult patients with haematological malignancies compared to the finding of other studies. Notably, patients with underlying acute leukaemia displayed a higher incidence of PICC-related infections. These findings underscore the importance of implementing appropriate interventions and conducting thorough root cause analyses to effectively mitigate this complication and improve patient outcomes.

Treatment Pattern and Outcome of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients in a Resource-Limited Setting.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma is the third most common hematologic malignancy in Malaysia. The introduction of novel agents over the past decades has improved patient outcome and survival substantially. However, these agents incur significant economic burden, thus leading to limited use in less developed countries. This study aims to report on the real-world treatment pattern and outcome of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients from a resource-constraint setting. METHODS: This is a retrospective study on NDMM patients diagnosed between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2022 in a single academic center. Patients' demographic and treatment details were included for analysis of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six NDMM patients with a median age of 64.0 years (ranged from 38 to 87 years old) were included. Bortezomib-containing regimens were the most commonly used induction agent, followed by thalidomide. Almost half of the patients (47.1%) achieved very good partial response (VGPR) or complete remission (CR), while 31.6% achieved partial response (PR). Bortezomib containing regimen was associated with significantly deeper and more rapid response, (p=0.001 and p=0.017, respectively) when compared to other agents. Only 22.8% of these patients proceeded to upfront autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  The median OS and PFS were 60.0 months and 25.0 months, respectively. Best initial response and upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) were significantly associated with better PFS. CONCLUSION: Achieving at least a VGPR significantly associated with better outcome in NDMM patients. In a resource constrain country, we recommend incorporating bortezomib in the induction therapy followed with an upfront ASCT.

CMV Infection Post Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Resource Limited Country.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the common complications which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). As the seroprevalence of CMV infection in Malaysia is high, this study aims to determine the prevalence of CMV infection in patients post HSCT and to evaluate the associated risk factors. Patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT in adult ward from 2008 to 2020 at a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were studied retrospectively. They were followed up for a minimum of 100 days post-HSCT to determine the incidence of CMV infection. CMV infection was defined according to CMV Drug Development Forum 2014. Risk factors such as type of transplant, serostatus of donor and patients, age, gender, race, presence of graft versus host disease (GVHD) and underlying disease were included for analysis. A total of 112 patients were included. Forty (35.7%) patients had CMV infection with median of onset recorded as 40 days (range 13-95 days). Only haplo-identical HSCT and presence of GVHD were identified as significant risk factors. Patients who had CMV infection had a lower median survival time although this was not statistically significant. The CMV infection rate was comparable with previous reports in Asia and as expected, higher than the western countries. Therefore, vigilant monitoring of CMV infection should be implemented especially in patients who had haplo-identical HSCT and acute GVHD.