SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate Higher In Cancer Patients

The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate appears to be more than twice as high in cancer patients as in the general population, according to data from Wuhan, China.

"Cancer patients are an at-risk population overall, and there will be an impact on long-term cancer control outcomes due to this pandemic," Dr. Melvin L. K. Chua from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China and National Cancer Center Singapore and Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore told Reuters Health by email.

Dr. Chua and colleagues reviewed the medical records of 1,524 patients with cancer who presented to Zhongnan Hospital and found that 12 (0.79%) had been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

By comparison, the cumulative incidence of all diagnosed COVID-19 cases reported in the city of Wuhan over the same time period was 0.37%.

"Perhaps the most interesting result was the number of factors that were associated with the higher risk of COVID-19 in cancer patients," Dr. Chua said. "We had anticipated that treatment was a driving factor due to its immunosuppressive effects, but surprisingly, the recurrent hospital visitation was a main contributing factor."

"Therefore, apart from treatment concerns, we recommend that follow-up visits be substantially reduced where possible and robust infection control measures be implemented to reduce the risk of infection in patients with cancer," he said.

The odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 2.31-fold higher among cancer patients than in the community, according to the online report in JAMA Oncology.

Of the 12 infected patients, seven had non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and five were receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. As of March 10, 2020, three (25%) of these patients had died and six had been discharged.

The incidence of COVID-19 was much higher among patients with NSCLC older than 60 years (4.3%) than among younger patients with NSCLC (1.8%).

—Will Boggs MD

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