Evaluation of distribution of different species of Candida in cancer patients

Background and objectives: Patients undergoing chemotherapy are severely susceptible to infections due to a compromised immune system and also their oral cavity is a great place for microorganisms and fungi to grow. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of different strains of Candida from oral lesions of these patients. Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 128 patients undergoing chemotherapy in teaching hospitals of Yazd, which was three weeks passing receiving their first medicine. Oral samples were prepared from swabs and then cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar culture media for evaluation of yeast growth, colonization, and identification of species. Samples were examined under the microscope and recorded. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS17 software, Chi-square, and Man-Whitney tests. Results: 128 patients participated in this study, which included 45 males (35.15%) and 83 females (64.85%) with an average age of 40.16 ± 19.95 years. 84 patients (62.65%) had candida in their oral cavity, of which 79 were candida albicans and 5 were Non-albicans Candida. No significant correlation was found between the type of candidates, type of cancer and the frequency of Candida albicans with the age and sex of the patients (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the prevalence of Candida albicans in patients undergoing chemotherapy is higher than Non-albicans Candida. Patients with leukemia are more susceptible to Candida infections.