Second-line treatment in invasive mould infections

Abstract

A prevalence of up to 30% of invasive fungal infections (IFI) has been reported from autopsy studies in patients treated for haematological malignancies. Despite substantial advances in the last decade, IFI are still associated with a mortality of up to more than 70%, in particular for those patients suffering from invasive aspergillosis. Some progress has been made in diagnostics with the advent of new non-culture based tools and the improvement of imaging techniques. However, the response rates are about 40-60% in the first-line treatment of IFI. Salvage therapy will be necessary for those being intolerant or refractory towards the respective first-line antifungal. Following a long period of stagnation, there has been a considerable progress during the last five years in the treatment of refractory IFI. This review highlights the new treatment options for the salvage setting in the context of the state-of-the-art management of IFI in cancer patients.