Cancer Patients Have High Levels of Antimicrobial Resistance, Analysis Finds

A review and meta-analysis found a “high level of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria isolated from cancer patients.” CIDRAP has the news.

Prior to this, there had been “no systematic review of the global prevalence of AMR in the common pathogenic bacteria known to cause infections in cancer patients,” despite the fact that cancer patients are known to be at increased risk of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. Researchers from the University of Ghana Medical School reviewed studies published from 2000 to 2024 on cancer patients with infections caused by several bacteria.

The review “identified 132 articles involving 49,638 cancer patients in 39 countries. Most studies (67%) reported AMR in multiple pathogens, while 33% reported resistance in single pathogens.”

The study authors suggest “possible underlying factors for high AMR levels among cancer patients include immunosuppression, prolonged antibiotic exposure, invasive medical devices, and intensive treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.” These procedures and treatments can weaken patients’ immune systems, and the fact that they often spend a substantial amount of time in care facilities also heightens their risk.