INTRODUCTION:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis that poses a unique threat to cancer care. Patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other intensive treatments are profoundly immunocompromised and heavily reliant on antibiotics to prevent and treat life-threatening infections. The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant (mdr) pathogens, including the eskape group, is undermining treatment effectiveness and increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.

METHODS:
This review synthesizes recent literature on the intersection of amr and oncology, drawing on studies published within the past decade. Databases including pubmed, scopus, and web of science were searched using relevant keywords. Evidence was critically appraised to highlight clinical challenges, therapeutic innovations, and stewardship strategies.

RESULTS:
Analysis revealed a multifaceted challenge: cancer patients are at heightened risk of infection, prophylactic and empirical therapies are increasingly compromised by resistance, and the economic burden continues to grow. Reliance on conventional antibiotic development is proving inadequate. Novel approaches are emerging, including antimicrobial peptides that disrupt bacterial membranes with reduced likelihood of resistance, bacteriophage therapy that selectively targets mdr pathogens, and crispr-cas systems that can edit resistance genes and re-sensitize bacteria to existing drugs. Complementary strategies such as rapid diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship programs are critical to preserving current antibiotic efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS:
Amr in cancer care represents an urgent global health concern requiring a paradigm shift from conventional antibiotic pipelines to innovative therapeutic and preventive measures. Integrating antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophage therapy, crispr-based interventions, and advanced diagnostics with robust stewardship frameworks offers a path forward to safeguard oncology outcomes in the era of rising resistance.