Antifungal susceptibility pattern of candida species among cancer patients attending B.P Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan

Background: Cancer is considered as a second most common cause of human death worldwide. The sufferers with most cancers are ongoing remedies for cell destruction which immediately lead them to at risk of infections because of their immune- compromised state. Among cancer patients, the fungal flora of the body imposes a greatest threat for own self. Antifungal resistance has been evolving lately as a burgeoning health care problem among Candida species. So, this study is aimed to explore the antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species among cancers patient. 
Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional study carried out in the Microbiology laboratory of B.P Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal. Standard microbiological techniques were used to identify Candida isolates, and HiCrome differential media were used for Candida speciation. Antifungal susceptibility testing was determined by using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) disk diffusion method.
Results Out of 680 processed samples, 50 Candida positive samples were found, with the majority (48.0%) isolated from urine. Candida albicans was the most predominant species (38%), followed by Candida glabrata (24%), Candida tropicalis (22%), and Candida krusei (16%). All isolates were highly sensitive to voriconazole (96%), with Clotrimazole 40 showing the highest resistance (80%), followed by ketoconazole and amphotericin B.
Conclusion Candida albicans is the most common cause of Candida infections, with most isolates exhibiting resistance to voriconazole and clotrimazole. This suggests the need for ongoing antifungal susceptibility surveillance to monitor trends in Candida species among cancer patients.