Background: Nosocomial pneumonia continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality in cancer patients.Methods: In an attempt to find an optimal treatment for this infection, nonneutropenic cancer patients with postoperative nosocomial pneumonia were randomized to receive either piperacillin/ tazobactam (P/T) 4.5 g IV every 6 hours (30 patients) or clindamycin (Cl) 900 mg plus aztreonam (Az) 2 g IV every 8 hours (22 patients). Amikacin 500 mg IV every 12 hours was given to all patients for the first 48 hours.Results: The two groups were comparable for the characteristics of pneumonia that included Gram-negative etiology and duration of intubation. Response rates were 83% for patients who received P/T and 86% for those who received Cl/Az (P Ͼ .99