Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with solid tumours: risk factors and predictors of clinical outcomes

Abstract

Background: The characteristics and management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with hematologic malignancies are well known, but IPA in patients with solid tumours is not well described.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all Aspergillus-positive cultures at a tertiary cancer center during 2004–2017. We identified 101 patients with IPA and solid tumours. We analyzed the association between clinical features and treatment and 12-week mortality and response to antifungal therapy.

Results: Fifty-one patients had lung cancer, 77 had underlying lung disease, 47 received chest radiation and 33 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common type isolated (71%); 68 patients (70%) were treated with voriconazole monotherapy. Independent risk factors for 12-week mortality included receiving steroids within 30 days of diagnosis (hazard ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–4.6; p = .03) and chest radiotherapy (hazard ratio 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2–5.5; p = .01). In multivariate analysis, a positive fungal stain was associated with lower odds of a successful response (odds ratio 0.2; 95% CI: 0.05–0.75; p = .02), whereas voriconazole treatment was associated with higher odds (odds ratio 10.1; 95% CI: 2.1–48.5; p < .01).

Conclusions: IPA should be considered in patients with solid tumours, particularly those with underlying lung disease.

Key messages

• Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis should be considered in patients with solid tumours, particularly those with underlying lung disease, lung cancer and those who received chest radiotherapy.

• Most of the patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and solid tumours presented with nonspecific symptoms and signs as well as nonspecific CT findings. Unlike patients with hematologic malignancies, fever and hemoptysis were not predominant symptoms and the classical halo sign and the air-crescent sign were not described.

• Independent risk factors for 12-week mortality included receiving steroids within 30 days of diagnosis and chest radiotherapy. In multivariate analysis, a positive fungal stain was associated with lower odds of a successful response to antifungal therapy, whereas voriconazole treatment was associated with higher odds.

Keywords:

• Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
• solid tumours
• clinical outcomes

Acknowledgements

We thank Ms. Stephanie P. Deming of the Department of Scientific Publications at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for editorial assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially financed by a grant from Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Médica.