Facing antimicrobial resistance in cancer care: what the AIOM survey tells us about oncologists' awareness

Abstract

Background: Infections with antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) organisms significantly worsen outcomes in cancer patients. Since the main cause of AMR is the inappropriate use of antibiotics for prophylactic or empirical treatment, antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) have been developed. Few papers on ASPs describe prospective audits in oncology settings. In light of this, the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) has decided to evaluate the oncologists' perceptions of this issue with a brief survey.

Methods: An anonymous 14-item questionnaire was shared online during the XXVI National Congress on the AIOM website. The survey was divided into two sections. The first set of questions collected the hospital organization and practices (Q1-Q6), while the second one was about the clinical practices and antibiotic therapy (Q7-Q14).

Results: Sixty-four medical oncologists completed the anonymous questionnaire. Seventy-two percent of respondents believe that AMR is a significant issue in cancer patients, and an equal percentage considers it likely that a cancer patient will become infected with a MDR pathogen. Despite these concerns, only 48% (n = 31/64) report having an active ASP in their centre. Just 6% of respondents (n = 4/64) consider themselves very confident in prescribing antibiotic therapy, while most consider themselves fairly or not very confident (n = 34/64, 53%, and n = 26/64, 36%, respectively).

Conclusions: This survey highlights the urgent need for educating and training oncologists on AMR, as well as the importance of the development of oncology-specific guidelines to mitigate the impact of AMR in this high-risk population.