Blood cancer patients show strong T-cell response to COVID vaccines

Reuters -  07/06/2022 -Patients with blood cancers have a significantly weaker antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines than patients with solid tumors, but they may still be well protected against severe illness from the virus, researchers reported at ASCO 2022, the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Researchers at Monash University in Australia studied immune responses after three doses of the COVID vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca in nearly 400 adults with active or recently treated cancers. Only 3.2% of the 256 patients with solid tumors lacked antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and preventing infection, compared to 30% of the 137 with hematological malignancies, they found. But T cell responses were similar regardless of cancer type.

T cell responses, therefore, may indicate immune protection "for those without antibody response," the researchers said.

The same team reported in a separate presentation that data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for cancer patients "are reassuring."

Survey responses from nearly 500 adults and children showed that most experienced some after-effects, with pain at the injection site and fatigue most common. But severe reaction rates were low (ranging from 0%-10%) and interruptions to cancer treatment were uncommon (0%-11%). "No significant change in quality of life was reported for dose 1 or 2 in children or adults," the researchers said.

SOURCE: https://bit.ly/3xpT99T and https://bit.ly/3NoJ42G ASCO 2022, June 4, 2022.

By Reuters Staff



Posted on 7 June, 202221 June, 2022