Cytomegalovirus DNAemia and disease: current-era epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes in cancer patients other than allogeneic haemopoietic transplantation

Abstract

Background: High-intensity chemotherapy and advances in novel immunotherapies have seen the emergence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in cancer patients other than allogeneic haemopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Aim. To evaluate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of CMV infection in this population. Methods: A retrospective review of cancer patients other than allogeneic HCT who had CMV DNAemia and/or disease from July 2013 till May 2020 at a quaternary cancer centre was performed. Results: Of 11 485 cancer patients who underwent treatment during this period, 953 patients had CMV DNA testing performed and 238 of them had CMV DNAemia. After excluding patients with..