Anti-cancer therapy have no adverse effects on severity and mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19

Afbeelding

Objectives:
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) poses a serious health threat to people around the world, particularly in patients with cancer. Whether or not cancer patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) receive anti-cancer therapy is associated with a poor prognosis is unclear. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Have anti-cancer therapy adverse effects on disease severity and mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19?

Study design:
This review article included a total of 26 studies, involving 5,571 cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Results and conclusions:   
The investigators found results showed that surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy were not significantly associated with disease severity or mortality [107/688, OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.79 to 2.13, p = 0.30, I2 = 38%; 1,956/2,674, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.95 to1.69, p = 0.10, I2 = 65%; 342/1,455, OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.61, p = 0.21, I2 = 7%; 503/1,378, OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.72 to 1.19, p = 0.54, I2 = 0%, respectively].

The investigators concluded that in cancer patients with COVID-19, anti-cancer therapy have no adverse effect on disease severity and mortality. Further research is necessary to determine the complex interrelationship between anti-cancer therapy, particularly chemotherapy and COVID-19.

Original title:
Impact of anti-cancer therapy on disease severity and mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Lin Z, Chen J and Han S.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33970745/

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on cancer and coronavirus right here.