Cancer patients more likely to die from COVID-19 when hospital admittance is required

Results from prospective data of >20,000 hospitalised patients with (a history of) cancer and COVID-19 show that these patients are more likely to die from COVID-19 than non-cancer patients with COVID-19.

To evaluate the influence of (a history of) cancer on the in-hospital outcomes of patients with COVID-19, the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP) UK (ISRCTN66726260) has collected complete data from 195,000 COVID-19 patients in the UK from 17 January 2020 to 12 August 2021. A total of 15,250 of these patients had a history of cancer and 5,357 were on active treatment for cancer. In-hospital outcomes of patients with (a history of) cancer were compared to those patients with no history of cancer. Dr Tom Drake (University of Edinburgh, UK) presented the results [1].

Relative mortality was increased in both patients with a history of cancer and patients on active treatment for cancer compared with non-cancer patients (38.9% and 37.6% vs 23.6%). Although patients with a history of cancer were older than non-cancer patients (77.5 vs 67.0 years), patients on active treatment were not (69.8 years). In addition, no differences in comorbidity could explain the difference in relative mortality. Relative mortality was particularly increased in younger cancer patients and diminished with age. Patients with (a history of) cancer were significantly less likely to be admitted to the critical care unit, compared with non-cancer patients. In addition, where relative mortality in non-cancer patients gradually decreased during the pandemic, no reduction in relative mortality over time was observed in cancer patients with COVID-19. In contrast, relative mortality for COVID-19 hospitalised cancer patients spiked in August 2020 and May 2021.

“At the moment, it is unclear what is driving poorer outcomes and lack of improvement in outcome over time,” said Dr Drake. “A data linkage program is ongoing to explore this question.”

1. Drake TM, et al. Prospective data of >20,000 hospitalised patients with Cancer and COVID 19 derived from the COVID 19 Clinical Information Network and international Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium WHO Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium. Abstract LBA60, ESMO Congress 2021, 16–21 September.

 

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Posted on 19 November 2021