Antifungal prophylaxis in neutropenic cancer patients and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Severe and prolonged neutropenia and fungal colonization during the long term administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics are well known factors increasing the risk of invasive fungal infections. This is in particular true in patients undergoning allgeneic bone marrow transplantation due to the intensity of the conditioning regimen, the immune-suppressive effect of allografting and the administration of immunosuppressive agents to prevent graft-versus-host-disease. Therefore, strategies in the prevention of fungal infections decreasing the morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological malignancies need to be developed. In this review, we discussed fungal infections an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological disorders and attempted to provide some insights in the current status of antifungal prophylaxis.