Antimicrobial resistance of bacterial pathogens isolated from cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global public health, particularly for cancer patients. A comprehensive review of bacterial pathogens isolated from cancer patients found that resistance prevalence was highest for penicillins in E. coli, followed by cotrimoxazole and monobactams in K. pneumoniae. Acinetobacter baumannii had high resistance prevalence to multiple antimicrobial classes, while Enterobacter spp. and Enterococcus faecium showed high resistance prevalence to penicillins. The high prevalence of AMR, especially among ESKAPE pathogens, highlights the urgent need for improved infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship in cancer care.