- Maziarz, RT;
- Brazauskas, R;
- Chen, M;
- McLeod, AA;
- Martino, R;
- Wingard, JR;
- Aljurf, M;
- Battiwalla, M;
- Dvorak, CC;
- Geroge, B;
- Guinan, EC;
- Hale, GA;
- Lazarus, HM;
- Lee, J-W;
- Liesveld, JL;
- Ramanathan, M;
- Reddy, V;
- Savani, BN;
- Smith, FO;
- Strasfeld, L;
- Taplitz, RA;
- Ustun, C;
- Boeckh, MJ;
- Gea-Banacloche, J;
- Lindemans, CA;
- Auletta, JJ;
- Riches, ML
Patients with prior invasive fungal infection (IFI) increasingly proceed to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT). However, little is known about the impact of prior IFI on survival. Patients with pre-transplant IFI (cases; n=825) were compared with controls (n=10247). A subset analysis assessed outcomes in leukemia patients pre- and post 2001. Cases were older with lower performance status (KPS), more advanced disease, higher likelihood of AML and having received cord blood, reduced intensity conditioning, mold-active fungal prophylaxis and more recently transplanted. Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp. were the most commonly identified pathogens. 68% of patients had primarily pulmonary involvement. Univariate and multivariable analysis demonstrated inferior PFS and overall survival (OS) for cases. At 2 years, cases had higher mortality and shorter PFS with significant increases in non-relapse mortality (NRM) but no difference in relapse. One year probability of post-HSCT IFI was 24% (cases) and 17% (control, P<0.001). The predominant cause of death was underlying malignancy; infectious death was higher in cases (13% vs 9%). In the subset analysis, patients transplanted before 2001 had increased NRM with inferior OS and PFS compared with later cases. Pre-transplant IFI is associated with lower PFS and OS after allogeneic HSCT but significant survivorship was observed. Consequently, pre-transplant IFI should not be a contraindication to allogeneic HSCT in otherwise suitable candidates. Documented pre-transplant IFI is associated with lower PFS and OS after allogeneic HSCT. However, mortality post transplant is more influenced by advanced disease status than previous IFI. Pre-transplant IFI does not appear to be a contraindication to allogeneic HSCT.