When people receive chemotherapy, they are more likely to get
infections, including fungal infections, due to low white blood
cell counts. Posaconazole has been approved to prevent fungal
infections in patients who receive induction chemotherapy for
acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. It is a liquid
medicine that is taken by mouth, with food. But some people who
receive chemotherapy develop an irritation of the mouth called
mucositis, and are unable to taken posaconazole because they
cannot tolerate food or oral medicines. Micafungin is an
antifungal medication that is given intravenously. It is
approved for treating certain fungal infections and for
preventing fungal infections in patients who receive a bone
marrow transplant. In this study, researchers want to compare
micafungin and posaconazole for the prevention of fungal
infections in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients
undergoing chemotherapy. Patients will be randomly assigned to
receive one drug or the other.