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PURPOSE:

Malignant fungating wounds (MFWs) afflict up to 14% of patients with advanced cancer. The bacterial community structures of MFW may influence the development and severity of wound symptoms. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate existing evidence regarding the relationship between microbiome and symptoms of MFWs.

METHODS:

A systematic review of the published literature from January 1995 to January 2020 was conducted. An established quality assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies.

SEARCH STRATEGY:

We searched 4 major electronic databases and retrieved 724 articles; 7 met inclusion criteria.

FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS:

Seven studies were included; the overall quality of the included 7 studies was ranked as adequate. Findings from the studies provided an incomplete characterization of the microbiome and metabolome of MFW; none …