Pre-emptive treatment of fungal infection based on plasma β-D-glucan levels after gastric surgery for gastric cancer in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Invasive fungal infection (IFI) related to surgery in elderly patients is often associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to determine 1,3-β-D-glucan (βDG) levels after gastric cancer surgery in elderly patients and to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of pre-emptive antifungal therapy using βDG as an aid for the early diagnosis of IFI.

METHODS: In all, 81 patients aged ≥70 years who had undergone gastric cancer surgery between 2009 and 2011 were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patients with plasma βDG levels >11 pg/mL (the cut-off value) were randomly assigned to either receive antifungal treatment or not (n=13 in each group). Postoperative outcomes were assessed using various clinical parameters.

RESULTS: After gastric cancer surgery, plasma βDG levels were ≥11 pg/mL in 26 of 81 elderly patients (32.1%). Of the βDG-positive patients, significantly more had stages III and IV rather than stages I and II disease (44.1% vs 23.4%, respectively; P=0.049). Fever on postoperative day 8 was significantly reduced in the pre-emptive antifungal-treated group than in the control group (36.8°C vs 37.2°C, respectively; P=0.045). However, there were no significant differences in mortality, morbidity, βDG levels, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein levels between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Pre-emptive antifungal treatment based on βDG after gastric surgery in elderly patients may help reduce the incidence of postoperative fever and suppress IFI. However, this needs to be confirmed in a larger prospective randomized, controlled trial.