RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Prevalence Candida infections have increased and oncologic patients have risk factors for contacting them. They are associated with a long hospital stay and high mortality rate. Candida resistance to antifungal drugs has been reported. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of Candida grown in cultures from oncologic patients. To identify isolated species and to determine C albicans sensitivity to antifungal drugs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During one year, different species of Candida spp. were isolated. They were inoculated in API-C-20 at 48 h. and cultivated in RPMI-1640. RESULTS: Cultures of 5,820 patients were collected, 66.68% from outpatients and 33% from hospitalized patients. Candida spp grew in 394 Candida albicans obtained from 81 cultures was the most frequent species (46.3%). One hundred were susceptible to Amphotericin B, 63% to Fluconazol, 59% to Ketoconazol and 31% to Itraconazol. Candidemia accounted for 24.6% of bloodstream infections. CONCLUSIONS: C. albicans had significant resistance to imidazoles and 100% were susceptible to Amphotericin B. Identification of species and susceptibility of Candida infections a useful tools because of the high proportion of Candida non-albicans species (53.7%). Candidemia accounted for 5.076% of the infections.