Infectious complications of combination anticancer chemotherapy for urogenital cancers

We reviewed the infectious complications in 207 courses of anticancer chemotherapy to 93 patients with urogenital cancer. Thirty episodes (14.5%) of neutropenic fever containing 9 cases (4.3%) of infection were observed. Five patients (16.7%) had pyelonephritis, one (3.3%) had acute prostatitis, two (6.6%) had pneumonia and one (3.3%) had bacteraemia. Multivariate analysis revealed that the infectious complications during anticancer chemotherapy were mainly associated with urinary diversion, hydronephrosis and duration of severe neutropenia (<500/mm3). These results suggest that infectious complications should be prevented in patients with urinary diversion, hydronephrosis and severe neutropenia during anticancer chemotherapy for urogenital cancer.