To the Editor: Mora-Duarte and colleagues (Dec. 19 issue)1 failto demonstrate that caspofungin can be considered a first-linetreatment for most candida infections, because they did notuse fluconazole as the comparison drug. Although Walsh, in theaccompanying editorial,2 mentions this limitation, it is a shamethat this carefully designed trial cannot answer this most relevantquestion.
There is ample evidence that amphotericin B and fluconazoleare equivalent in the treatment of invasive candidiasis. Fluconazolehas fewer side effects, comes in an oral formulation, and ischeaper. This matter has been reviewed by the Infectious DiseasesSociety of America . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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