GLOBAL CANCER INITIATIVES
11 CANCER CONTROL 2021
The strengths of partnerships in
addressing AMR for better cancer care
outcomes
Shalini Jayasekar Zurn, UICC; Sonali Johnson, UICC; Helle Aagaard, ReAct Europe; Carina Alm, Norwegian
Cancer Society; Jon Kirknes, Norwegian Cancer Society and Anna Zorzet, ReAct Europe
O
ne in six deaths is due to cancer (1) and this number
will increase. In order to ensure higher rates of
survival and a better quality of life, effective cancer
control must include raising awareness, effective prevention
strategies, early detection, access to effective treatments
and palliative care. Ensuring access to timely and appropriate
cancer treatment includes access to antimicrobials to address
infections. These are a crucial element in the arsenal of cancer treatment modalities.
Infections in cancer patients are a common occurrence,
making the use of antibiotics can be lifesaving in the treatment
of these patients (2). As many as 1 in 5 cancer patients
undergoing treatment will need antibiotics at some point
(frequently multiple times) during their treatment (3).
Cancer patients are at a higher risk of infections due to the
lowering of immune defences resulting from their treatment, in
HELLE AAGAARD
SHALINI JAYASEKAR ZURN SONALI JOHNSON ANNA ZORZET,
CARINA ALM, JON KIRKNES
Helge's story
• Helge was 21 years when he was diagnosed with Leukaemia.
• Over a 5-year period, he endured several chemotherapy cycles, a stem cell transplant and a lung transplant to
survive.
• Due to the stem cell transplant, he was in isolation and dependent on antibiotics, without which he would never have
been able to receive the necessary treatments that saved his life.
• It was a combination of the cancer treatments and the antibiotics that saved his life.
• He is doing well today and is a strong advocate for addressing antimicrobial resistance.
Source- Norwegian Cancer Society
Matilda's story (name changed)
• Matilda is nine years old and is living with cancer. She was initially treated with a chemotherapy protocol but
relapsed and is now getting more aggressive chemotherapy at the hospital. Matilda is a happy child and surrounded
by her family and friends.
• She is now on antibiotics for an ongoing fever.
• Unfortunately, within a short time, her heart rate starts to increase, and the residents get called. She starts to look
progressively unwell and within 12 hours her blood pressure drops, she has trouble breathing and is taken to the
intensive care unit (ICU), intubated and put on a ventilator. Twelve hours later despite everything the ICU doctors
and nurses try to do she dies.
• The blood culture that was taken at the start of the whole episode shows that it was a gram-negative bacterium
(klebsiella pneumoniae) resistant to most antibiotics including the ones she was taking.