Experts have warned that antibiotic-resistant superbugs could render chemotherapy ineffective within the next decade. British oncologists have seen a rise in superbug infections among cancer patients in the past year alone, some of which are deadly. A predicted 65,000 cancer patients could develop potentially life-threatening drug-resistant infections after surgery in the next decade. Cancer patients may be more vulnerable to emerging superbugs because their immune systems have been made weaker by treatment. Therefore, routine medical interventions, such as chemotherapy and other surgeries, may become less safe to use - thereby 'ineffective' - because of the infection risk. Half of oncologists surveyed fear strong cancer-killing chemotherapy drugs may be unviable within ten years. Bacteria can become resistant - known as a superbug - over time. This is accelerated by people taking incorrect doses of antibiotics or unnecessarily.
The survey of oncologists was carried out by the Longitude Prize, which was set up to develop a diagnostic test which can identify which antibiotics are needed for patients on the spot, removing guess work. The Times reported that one in four oncologists in the UK have seen an increase in drug-resistant infections in the last year. A survey of 100 cancer doctors found that 95 per cent were worried about the rise of superbugs in their patients. Some 46 per cent of those surveyed said they believed drug-resistant infections could make chemotherapy unviable.
