Intestinal parasitic infections in patients with malignancy

The frequency of intestinal parasitic infections was studied retrospectively in 1,029 cancer patients presenting with symptoms of diarrhoea. Intestinal parasites were diagnosed by stool examination, using both the direct and concentration techniques and also the modified acid fast stain. Parasitic infection was found in 16.5% of the cases. The majority of the patients with intestinal parasitosis had cancer of the haemopoietic system and were on anticancer chemotherapy. The most prevalent parasites were Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (8.5%) and Giardia lamblia (3.1%). Much more rare were Strongyloides stercoralis (0.6%), Cryptosporidium parvum (0.3%) and Isospora belli (0.1%). All the patients with intestinal parasites were negative for HIV antibodies.