tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Glob Health
. 2025 Feb 14:15:04046.
doi: 10.7189/jogh.15.04046. The burden of COVID-19 death for different cancer types: a large population-based study
You Mo[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Duncan Wei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaozheng Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zengfu Zhang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Wen Huo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Meng Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Dawei Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jinming Yu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Viral mutations and immune dysfunction still lead to recurrent infections of COVID-19 in cancer patients. Our aim in this study was to explore the differences in cumulative risk of COVID-19 death from different cancer types and characterise clinical and demographic factors associated with COVID-19 death.
Methods: We conducted a population-based study using the National Cancer Database, which included all cancer types. We calculated age-standardised mortality, cancer mortality, and COVID-19 mortality. Further, we employed a multivariate competing risk analysis to calculate the cumulative risk of COVID-19 death in different cancer types.
Results: 5.3% of cancer patients suffered from COVID-19 death. The highest COVID-19 mortality was in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, while lung and bronchus cancer exhibited lower risk. Notably, years from cancer diagnosis independently predict COVID-19 death. The hazard ratios (HR) in different types of cancers were as follows: lung and bronchus cancer HR = 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20-1.40, P < 0.001), colon and rectum cancer HR = 1.22 (95% CI = 1.16-1.29, P < 0.001), urinary bladder cancer HR = 1.22 (95% CI = 1.15-1.30, P < 0.001), non-Hodgkin lymphoma HR = 1.17 (95% CI = 1.11-1.23, P < 0.001), kidney cancer HR = 1.15 (95% CI = 1.06-1.24, P < 0.001), and breast cancer HR = 1.11 (95% CI = 1.06-1.16, P < 0.001). Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical resection did not significantly correlate with COVID-19 death.
Conclusions: We revealed the burden of COVID-19 death across different cancer types. COVID-19 mortality was highest in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and prostate cancer, while patients with lung and bronchus cancer had a lower risk. Years from diagnosis independently predict COVID-19 death. Based on the results, we support more prompt risk assessment and treatment for various types of cancer.
. 2025 Feb 14:15:04046.
doi: 10.7189/jogh.15.04046. The burden of COVID-19 death for different cancer types: a large population-based study
You Mo[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Duncan Wei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaozheng Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zengfu Zhang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Wen Huo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Meng Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Dawei Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jinming Yu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39946554
- DOI: 10.7189/jogh.15.04046
Background: Viral mutations and immune dysfunction still lead to recurrent infections of COVID-19 in cancer patients. Our aim in this study was to explore the differences in cumulative risk of COVID-19 death from different cancer types and characterise clinical and demographic factors associated with COVID-19 death.
Methods: We conducted a population-based study using the National Cancer Database, which included all cancer types. We calculated age-standardised mortality, cancer mortality, and COVID-19 mortality. Further, we employed a multivariate competing risk analysis to calculate the cumulative risk of COVID-19 death in different cancer types.
Results: 5.3% of cancer patients suffered from COVID-19 death. The highest COVID-19 mortality was in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, while lung and bronchus cancer exhibited lower risk. Notably, years from cancer diagnosis independently predict COVID-19 death. The hazard ratios (HR) in different types of cancers were as follows: lung and bronchus cancer HR = 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20-1.40, P < 0.001), colon and rectum cancer HR = 1.22 (95% CI = 1.16-1.29, P < 0.001), urinary bladder cancer HR = 1.22 (95% CI = 1.15-1.30, P < 0.001), non-Hodgkin lymphoma HR = 1.17 (95% CI = 1.11-1.23, P < 0.001), kidney cancer HR = 1.15 (95% CI = 1.06-1.24, P < 0.001), and breast cancer HR = 1.11 (95% CI = 1.06-1.16, P < 0.001). Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical resection did not significantly correlate with COVID-19 death.
Conclusions: We revealed the burden of COVID-19 death across different cancer types. COVID-19 mortality was highest in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and prostate cancer, while patients with lung and bronchus cancer had a lower risk. Years from diagnosis independently predict COVID-19 death. Based on the results, we support more prompt risk assessment and treatment for various types of cancer.
