Cancer patients receiving treatment are at risk of contracting infections and can develop severe outcomes they are infected. The global rise in antibiotic resistance threatens to stall and even reverse recent advances in cancer care.
We will describe the pre-pandemic epidemiology of a selection of clinically important antibiotic resistant bacteria in cancer patients in Oxfordshire and compare findings with a similar study currently running in Norway. We will investigate whether there are differences in risk factors for infections between the two settings. Finally, we will estimate the additional mortality caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.
These results will help us understand the causes and outcomes of infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria among cancer patients undergoing treatment and are therefore important in designing cancer care for a future where antimicrobials may be less effective.