Nutritional Advice El Mondo
Objectives:
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an almost global pandemic with significant public health impacts. The increasing prevalence of malignancy has become a leading cause of human mortality. However, conflicting findings have been published on the association between malignancy and COVID-19 severity. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.
Does malignancy increase risk of severe/critical COVID-19?
Study design:
This review article included 29 studies with a total of 9,475 confirmed COVID-19 patients (median age 54.4 years, 54.0% men).
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found the overall proportion of malignancy was 2.5% [95% CI = 1.6% to 3.4%].
The investigators found the proportion of malignancy was higher in patients with severe/critical COVID-19 than those with non-severe/non-critical COVID-19 [3.9%, 95% CI = 2.0 to 6.3 vs 1.4%, 95% CI = 0.8 to 2.2].
The investigators found, furthermore, pre-existing malignancy was associated with more than twofold higher risk of severe/critical patients with COVID-19 [OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.65 to 3.06, I2 = 0.0%].
The investigators concluded malignancy is associated with a higher risk of severe/critical COVID-19 and may serve as a clinical predictor for adverse outcomes.
Original title:
Malignancy is a risk factor for higher COVID-19 severity:A meta-analysis by Liu GE, Cai W, [...], Hong Wang H.
Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34022777/
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on cancer and coronavirus right here.
Malignancy refers to the presence of cancerous cells that have the ability to spread to other sites in the body (metastasize) or to invade nearby (locally) and destroy tissues. Malignant cells tend to have fast, uncontrolled growth and do not die normally due to changes in their genetic makeup.
There are several main types of malignancy. Carcinoma is a malignancy that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Central nervous system cancers are malignancies that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Leukemia is a malignancy that begins in blood-forming tissue, such as the bone marrow and causes too many abnormal blood cells to be made. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are malignancies that begin in the cells of the immune system. Sarcoma is a malignancy that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels or other connective or supportive tissue.