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Cancer & AMR Consortium

Addressing the need for data to accelerate advocacy, policy and innovation

An Increased Threat of Drug-Resistant Infection

Many professionals assume that cancer patients in treatment are at a higher risk of developing a drug-resistant infection. Unfortunately, there has been very little research on it to date.

quote icon For many cancer patients who die from this awful disease, 
their tumors aren’t solely responsible. In many instances, superbugs sicken these patients, who can’t fight off resistant infections due to weakened immune systems — 
even with the help of antibiotics.1 quote icon
- Cynthia L. Sears and Fyza Yusuf Shaikh

Outpatient Findings and Actions We Can Take

Understanding how AMR impacts modern medicine requires more research. Here are ways you can help take action today:

Findings in the outpatient setting

AMR rates among key pathogens were 1 to 3 times higher overall in cancer patients, with some specific pathogen-source combinations such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) more than 5 times greater for cancer patients in outpatient settings compared to patients without cancer.

Read the full article

The links between AMR & Cancer

AMR is undermining modern medicine and putting vulnerable patient populations at risk.

Download the infographic

Learn more about Cancer & AMR

Watch a video about Cancer and AMR from the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC).

Watch the full video now

For the Media

AMR is a complex story. As journalists and other members of the media, you are essential to conveying the threat it poses to cancer patients and modern medicine at large.

Press release

References

  1. https://​www​.bal​ti​more​sun​.com/​o​p​i​n​i​o​n​/​o​p​-​e​d​/​b​s​-​e​d​-​o​p​-​0​9​1​3​-​s​u​p​e​r​b​u​g​s​-​c​a​n​c​e​r​-​m​o​o​n​s​h​o​t​-​2​0​2​2​0​9​1​2​-​d​n​p​v​3​o​j​i​4​f​a​4​z​n​c​a​p​7​n​y​a​i​m​j​m​u​-​s​t​o​r​y​.html, accessed 11/20/2023
  2. Gupta V, Satlin MJ, Yu K, Martei YM, Sung L, Westblade LF, Howard SC, Ai C, Flayhart DC. Burden of Antimicrobial Resistance in Adult Hospitalized Patients With Cancer: A Multicenter Analysis. Cancer Med. 2024 Dec;13(24):e70495. doi: 10.1002/cam4.70495. PMID: 39673173; PMCID: PMC11645461.

  3. Incidence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in outpatients with cancer: a multicentre retrospective cohort study,” Vikas Gupta, Michael J. Satlin, Kalvin Yu, Yehoda M. Martei, Lillian Sung, Lars F. Westblade, Scott C. Howard, ChinEn Ai, Diane C. Flayhart, The Lancet Oncology, online April 30, 2025

Share Your Story and Become an Antimicrobial Resistance Fighter