Objects  To clarify the risk factors of candidemia and to assess the clinical differences that may exist between infection with Candida parapsilosis and that with other Candida species in cancer patients. To statistically analyze the clinical characteristics of Candida albicans candidemia and C. parapsilosis candidemia and risk factors for their infections. We aimed at a timely intervention through this type of analysis to avoid susceptible factors and improve the prognosis of patients with candidemia.

  Methods  We retrospectively included 323 patients with candidemia in Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between March 2012 and February 2018 and analyzed the clinical characteristics of these patients to establish the risk factors of candidemia. We performed a comparative analysis of the clinical characteristics of C. parapsilosis infections and non-parapsilosis Candida spp. infections and of C. albicans infections and non-albicans Candida spp. infections. In addition, drug sensitivity tests and analyses were performed with the common antifungal drugs used in Candida infections by a micro-broth dilution method. The statistical software SPSS version 22 was used for the analyses.

  Results  A total of 323 patients were enrolled and analyzed in this study. Of the isolates, 34.37% were C. albicans and 65.63% were non-albicans Candida spp. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the following factors were associated with the occurrence of C. parapsilosis candidemia: parenteral nutrition (P < 0.001), neutropenia (P < 0.001), history of receiving chemotherapy (P=0.002), and history of previous antifungal use (P < 0.001). Parenteral nutrition was found to be an independent risk factor for C. albicans candidemia (OR=0.183; 95%CI:0.098-0.340; P < 0.001).

  Conclusions  C. parapsilosis was found to be the primary pathogen in cancer patients with candidemia. Total parenteral nutrition in the intensive care unit at diagnosis and abdominal surgery were independent risk factors of candidemia, and parenteral nutrition was an independent risk factor of C. parapsilosis candidemia. At present, C. parapsilosis is surpassing C. albicans as the main pathogen of candidemia in cancer patients at our hospital. This study emphasizes the need to assess the possible risk factors for candidemia in cancer patients and aims at strengthening and developing a hospital-based control strategy to prevent the spread of candidemia.