Usefulness of serum galactomannan in initiating and modifying antifungal therapy in children with cancer and persistent high‐risk febrile neutropenia

• Published in: Mycoses 2020-08, Vol.63 (8), p.802-811
• Main Authors: Delgado‐Araneda, Matías, Valenzuela, Romina, Maza, Verónica, Rabello, Marcela, Álvarez, Ana M., Contardo, Verónica, Zubieta, Marcela, Gutierrez, Valentina, Claverie, Ximena, Torres, Juan P., Salgado, Carmen, Tordecilla, Juan, Varas, Mónica, Avilés, Carmen L., Venegas, Marcela, Villarroel, Milena, Santolaya, María E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antifungal agents; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Aspergillosis; Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Cancer; Case-Control Studies; Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia - complications; chemotherapy‐induced febrile neutropenia; Child; Children; febrile neutropenia in children; Female; galactomannan; Hematologic Neoplasms - complications; Humans; infectious diseases; invasive fungal infections; Invasive Fungal Infections - drug therapy; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Invasiveness; Male; Malignancy; Mannans - blood; Morbidity; Neoplasms - complications; Neutropenia; paediatric oncology; paediatrics
• ISSN: 0933-7407; 1439-0507
• DOI: 10.1111/myc.13097

Summary Background Invasive fungal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children with cancer and high‐risk febrile neutropenia (HRFN). Repeated serum galactomannan (sGM) measurements have been described as an effective tool to guide therapy in adults under suspicion of invasive aspergillosis. However, the utility of this approach has not been reported in paediatric population. Objectives To evaluate the usefulness of sGM measurements in initiating and modifying antifungal therapy (AFT) in children with cancer and persistent HRFN. Patients/Methods Nested case‐control study in children with cancer and persistent HRFN episodes, between July 2013 and January 2019. Patients were classified as cases and controls depending on if they received AFT or not, respectively. Through odds ratio analysis, we assessed the role of sGM positivity in the AFT initiation decision. Then, we analysed the group of patients that initiated AFT, and compared those who had AFT modifications and those who did not, analysing different sGM kinetics thresholds. Results A total of 191 episodes from children with persistent HRFN were enrolled, of which 107 received AFT and 84 did not. The median age was 7 years (IQR 4‐12), 52% were male and 89% had a haematologic malignancy as underlying disease. Positive sGM was not associated with AFT initiation (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.43‐2.33, P = .99). A difference threshold in sGM Δ ≥ 0.3 sGM was significantly associated with AFT modification (OR 5.07, 95% CI 1.02‐ 25.70, P = .04). Conclusions Our results suggest the utility of serial sGM sampling during AFT in children with persistent HRFN.