Aspergillus infections in cancer patients. Association with fireproofing materials in a new hospital.

INFECTION is the major cause of mortality in patients with acute leukemia and lymphoma. 1-3 Among infections in patients with altered host defenses, an increasing incidence of such fungal complications is well established. 4-6 Fungal infections caused by Aspergillus spp are second in frequency only to candidiasis in these patient populations. 3-5,7 When present, Aspergillus infections are the major contributory factor to their demise, 6,8 and are of serious consequence in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for other circumstances, such as collagen vascular diseases, 9 renal transplants, 10 and cardiac transplants. 11 The Baltimore Cancer Research Center admits for intensive therapy patients with acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, brain tumors, metastatic sarcomas, and metastatic carcinomas. In the past six years there has been essentially no change in either the basic patient population or in treatment philosophy. The necropsy rate has remained consistently high. Shortly after relocation of the Center to

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