Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical distribution and drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from a cancer hospital and provide guidance for the rational use of antibiotics. Methods The S. aureus strains, which were isolated from clinical samples of the patients of a cancer hospital during 2011-2016, were collected, then the strains were identified by using Auto-Scan4 bacterial identification system, and the drug susceptibility test was performed by using drug susceptibility analysis system. Results Among 764 strains of S. aureus isolated, 176 strains of MRSA were detected (23.04%). Moreover, the detection rate of MRSA showed an increasing trend. Among the isolated S. aureus strains, 30.89% were isolated from respiratory tract samples, 19.63% from wound samples and 14.40% from secretion samples. The top three departments with high isolation rate of MRSA were ICU (73.81%), department of orthopedics (46.43%) and thoracic ward (40.91%). The drug resistant rate of S. aureus to penicillin was highest (95%), and the drug resistant rates of S. aureus to vancomycin and linezolid were lowest (0%). The drug resistant rate to quinolones, erythromycin, and clindamycin were 70%. Conclusion The drug resistant rate of S. aureus was high in the hospital during 2011-2016, and the detection rate of MRSA increased with year. It is necessary to promote rational use of antibiotics and regularly monitor the change of the drug resistance in order to prevent nosocomial transmission.