Document 0798
 DOCN  M9650798
 TI    Targeting fungi: a challenge.
 DT    9605
 AU    Meunier F; EORTC Central Office, Data Center, Brussels, Belgium.
 SO    Am J Med. 1995 Dec 29;99(6A):60S-67S. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96165205
 AB    Invasive fungal infections are more commonly identified in various
       categories of patients, mainly in cancer patients but also in those
       undergoing organ transplantation, patients in intensive care units, and
       those with AIDS. There is a great need to increase the awareness of
       practitioners who are still underestimating the morbidity and mortality
       relating to invasive fungal infections, and to stress the economic
       burden for the society and healthcare systems of invasive fungal
       infections. The list of fungal pathogens causing life-threatening
       complications has also increased recently, with the emergence of unusual
       fungi being more frequently identified in such settings. Early diagnosis
       of invasive fungal infections is still a major challenge for the
       clinician at the bedside. Identification of state-of-the-art management
       is also a difficult task for the clinical scientist involved in the
       assessment of optimal strategies to prevent and to treat those invasive
       fungal infections, although major progress has occurred in the last 5
       years with the development of new, safe, and effective antifungal
       agents. Empiric therapy remains a very controversial issue that should
       be further investigated in high-quality clinical trials. Overall,
       clinical research in this difficult field requires independent and
       objective analysis; only large multicenter clinical trials can address
       these critical issues and rapidly provide convincing results leading to
       a better prognosis of patients with invasive fungal infections. These
       complications still represent too often an obstacle to successful
       control of severe underlying diseases. Clinical research on the
       appropriate ways to target fungi will not only define state-of-the-art
       management but also identify ineffective or redundant treatments. Such
       an approach will make a substantial contribution to the care of the
       high-risk patients within the next decade and will preserve our capacity
       for medical excellence.
 DE    Antifungal Agents/THERAPEUTIC USE  AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
       Clinical Trials  Fungi/PATHOGENICITY  Human  Immunocompromised Host
       Intensive Care  Multicenter Studies  *Mycoses/DIAGNOSIS/DRUG
       THERAPY/ECONOMICS/PREVENTION & CONTROL  Neoplasms/COMPLICATIONS
       Opportunistic Infections/DIAGNOSIS/DRUG THERAPY/ECONOMICS/  PREVENTION &
       CONTROL  Organ Transplantation  Prognosis  JOURNAL ARTICLE  REVIEW
       REVIEW, TUTORIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).