To fight the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in cancer patients, the Cancer & AMR Consortium was formed. Our goal is to bring new data to light about the link between AMR and cancer. Here are some of the findings:
The Inpatient Findings
Compared to non-cancer patients, hospitalized cancer patients had nearly 1.5-2x antimicrobial resistance in certain key pathogens2
Out of the >4.6 Million Patient Admissions in the U.S., >300,000 are cancer patients2
Bacteria that is highly resistant to the strongest antibiotics are more likely to be found in cancer vs. non-cancer patients2
One study found significantly higher rates of AMR in the cancer group compared to the non-cancer group across most bacteria sample types2
Understanding how AMR impacts modern medicine requires more research. Here are ways you can help take action today:
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.
AMR is undermining modern medicine and putting vulnerable patient populations at risk.
Watch a video about Cancer and AMR from the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC).
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.
Antibiotics are a critical tool in cancer care. It’s important to make sure clinicians today can still prevent and treat drug-resistant infections while new antibiotics are being developed.
Contact us to learn more and work with consortium
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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.
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