Septicemia in patients with solid cancers in a Japanese cancer hospital--the significance of candidemia for cancer patients.

Episodes of septicemia (114) in patients with solid cancers at Nagoya Memorial Hospital were analyzed from April 1985 to June 1986. The underlying malignancies were predominantly gastric and colon cancers. Almost all the cancers were in advanced stages, the most frequent patient performance status being 4. Hypogammaglobulinemia and granulocytopenia were not, however frequent among these patients. The major microbes detected from blood cultures were Candida sp., Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Preceding chemotherapies were mainly combination chemotherapies containing Cisplatin (CDDP). The major pathogen, Candida sp., was detected frequently from Hickman's catheter. Thirty-one percent of patients died within 14 days of the septicemia diagnosis (two were cases of septic shock).