Microbiology in Oncology

The clinical microbiologist and the microbiology laboratory both play an important role in the management of infections in patients with neoplasia. There is an urgent need to identify the etiological agents of infections accurately and with rapid tests, as this influences the management and patient outcomes. Several new tests are available for the molecular diagnosis of bacterial, viral, fungal, and mycobacterial infections. These tests require careful evaluation and integration with the clinical picture and conventional microbiology, to achieve an accurate diagnosis. Clinical microbiology is a complex science requiring interpretive judgment. This chapter outlines the major areas of clinical microbiology and laboratory tools that will help oncologists optimize the utilization of microbiological services for the successful identification of microorganisms encountered during the treatment of neoplastic diseases.