Tweet
Br J Cancer
. 2021 Aug 16.
doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01500-z. Online ahead of print.
Risk of COVID-19 death in cancer patients: an analysis from Guy's Cancer Centre and King's College Hospital in London
Beth Russell # 1 , Charlotte L Moss # 2 , Vallari Shah 3 , Thinzar Ko Ko 3 , Kieran Palmer 4 , Rushan Sylva 5 , Gincy George 2 , Maria J Monroy-Iglesias 2 , Piers Patten 3 6 , Muhammed Mansour Ceesay 7 , Reuben Benjamin 3 6 , Victoria Potter 3 , Antonio Pagliuca 3 6 , Sophie Papa 5 6 , Sheeba Irshad 5 6 , Paul Ross 5 , James Spicer 5 6 , Shahram Kordasti 6 8 , Danielle Crawley 2 5 , Harriet Wylie 2 , Fidelma Cahill 2 , Anna Haire 2 , Kamarul Zaki 5 , Ailsa Sita-Lumsden 5 , Debra Josephs 2 5 , Deborah Enting 2 5 , Angela Swampillai 5 , Elinor Sawyer 6 9 , Andrea D'Souza 5 , Simon Gomberg 5 , Claire Harrison 8 , Paul Fields 8 , David Wrench 8 , Anne Rigg 5 , Richard Sullivan 6 , Austin Kulasekararaj 3 6 , Guy’s Cancer Real World Evidence; Saoirse Dolly 5 , Mieke Van Hemelrijck 2 5
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 34400804
- DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01500-z
Abstract
Background: Using an updated dataset with more patients and extended follow-up, we further established cancer patient characteristics associated with COVID-19 death.
Methods: Data on all cancer patients with a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction swab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) at Guy's Cancer Centre and King's College Hospital between 29 February and 31 July 2020 was used. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify which factors were associated with COVID-19 mortality.
Results: Three hundred and six SARS-CoV-2-positive cancer patients were included. Seventy-one had mild/moderate and 29% had severe COVID-19. Seventy-two patients died of COVID-19 (24%), of whom 35 died <7 days. Male sex [hazard ratio (HR): 1.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-3.38)], Asian ethnicity [3.42 (1. 59-7.35)], haematological cancer [2.03 (1.16-3.56)] and a cancer diagnosis for >2-5 years [2.81 (1.41-5.59)] or ≥5 years were associated with an increased mortality. Age >60 years and raised C-reactive protein (CRP) were also associated with COVID-19 death. Haematological cancer, a longer-established cancer diagnosis, dyspnoea at diagnosis and raised CRP were indicative of early COVID-19-related death in cancer patients (<7 days from diagnosis).
Conclusions: Findings further substantiate evidence for increased risk of COVID-19 mortality for male and Asian cancer patients, and those with haematological malignancies or a cancer diagnosis >2 years. These factors should be accounted for when making clinical decisions for cancer patients.