Invasive aspergillosis in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia patients: Results from SEIFEM 2016-B survey.

BACKGROUND: In patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (R/R AML) who received salvage chemotherapy, limited and not updated studies explored the incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and the role of antifungal prophylaxis (AP). The aims of this multicentre retrospective 'SEIFEM 2016-B' study were as follows: (1) to evaluate the current rate and the outcome of proven/probable IA and (2) to assess the efficacy of AP, in a large 'real life' series of patient with R/R AML submitted to salvage chemotherapy. RESULTS: Of 2250 R/R AML patients, a total of 74 cases of IA (5.1%) were recorded as follows: 10 (0.7%) proven and 64 (4.3%) probable. Information about AP were available in 73/74 (99%) patients. Fifty-eight (79%) breakthrough infections occurred, mainly during AP with posaconazole [25 (43%)]. The patients who received AP during salvage chemotherapy showed a benefit from antifungal therapy (AT) than patients who did not received AP [43 (86%) vs 7 (14%); p < .033]. In a multivariate analysis, AP and absence of severe mucositis had a significant favourable effect on overall response rate. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that the incidence of IA during the salvage chemotherapy is similar to the past. Nevertheless, the attributable mortality rate (AMR) appears to be lower than that previously reported in R/R AML. Further prospective studies should be performed to confirm our preliminary observation and understand and the why a decreased AMR is reported in this setting of high-risk patients.

'Real-life' analysis of the role of antifungal prophylaxis in preventing invasive aspergillosis in AML patients undergoing consolidation therapy: Sorveglianza Epidemiologica Infezioni nelle Emopatie (SEIFEM) 2016 study.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the incidence of proven/probable invasive aspergillosis (IA) and the role of antifungal prophylaxis (AP) in a 'real-life' setting of patients with AML receiving intensive consolidation therapy. METHODS: Cases of IA, observed during consolidation in adult/paediatric patients with AML between 2011 and 2015, were retrospectively collected in a multicentre Italian study. RESULTS: Of 2588 patients, 56 (2.2%) developed IA [43 probable (1.7%) and 13 proven (0.5%)]. IA was diagnosed in 34 of 1137 (2.9%) patients receiving no AP and in 22 of 1451 (1.5%) who were given AP (P = 0.01). Number-needed-to-treat calculation indicates that, on average, 71 patients should have received AP (instead of no AP) for one additional patient to not have IA. Initial antifungal therapy was 'pre-emptive' in 36 (64%) patients and 'targeted' in 20 (36%) patients. A good response to first-line therapy was observed in 26 (46%) patients, mainly those who received AP [16 of 22 (73%) versus 10 of 34 (29%); P = 0.001]. The overall mortality rate and the mortality rate attributable to IA by day 120 were 16% and 9%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age ≥60 years (OR = 12.46, 95% CI = 1.13-136.73; P = 0.03) and high-dose cytarabine treatment (OR = 10.56, 95% CI = 1.95-116.74; P = 0.04) independently affected outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, AP appears to prevent IA from occurring during consolidation. However, although the incidence of IA was low, mortality was not negligible among older patients. Further prospective studies should be carried out particularly in elderly patients treated with high-dose cytarabine to confirm our data and to identify subsets of individuals who may require AP.