Infection in lymphoma. Histology, treatment, and duration in relation to incidence and survival

Abstract

The infectious episodes occurring throughout the clinical course of 147 patients with Hodgkin''s disease, lymphosarcoma, reticulum cell sarcoma, or mycosis fungoides were recorded. Bacterial infections, especially septicemia, were the most common in each disease group. The incidence of viral, fungal, and mixed infections and the percentage of patients who became infected was similar for each study group. The great majority of infectious episodes clustered in the last quarter and during the last 10 days of life. The survival of patients with and without infections was similar in all disease groups. The high incidence of infections late in the disease course suggests that nonspecific predisposing factors were operable rather than the effects of therapy, disease activity, or disease-related immunological impairment.