Oral anticandidal prophylaxis in patients undergoing chemotherapy for acut- leukemia

Fifty-six untreated patients with acute leukemia (38 acute myelogenous leukemia, 16 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and 2 blast crisis of chronic granulocytic leukemia) were randomized on admission to one of three groups--one to receive oral anticandidal prophylaxis through the period of remission induction chemotherapy with nystatin, another to receive natamycin, and the third to receive no anticandidal prophylaxis. Neither of the first two groups show any advantage over the last and it is concluded that provided gut sterilization regimes are not employed, prophylactic oral anticandidal treatment is of no value in these patients and should be reserved until there is clinical evidence of infection.