Patients with cancer are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes and this risk is higher among African Americans, making it important to monitor these patients to protect them from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (JAMA Oncol. 2020;e206178. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.6178).
In a retrospective case-control analysis, researchers investigated how patients with specific types of cancer are at risk for COVID-19 infection. In addition, they investigated the adverse outcomes and whether cancer-specific race disparities exist for COVID-19 infection.
Patient electronic health records included 73.4 million patients from 360 hospitals and 317 000 clinicians across 50 US states to August 14, 2020.
Results showed that those with a recent cancer diagnosis were at a higher risk for COVID-19 infection (aOR, 7.14 [95% CI, 6.91-7.39]; P < .001). The strongest association was for recently diagnosed leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lung cancer. African Americans has a higher risk for COVID-19 infection than White patients with the disparity being highest for breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.
A total of 47.46% of patients with cancer and COVID-19 were hospitalized compared with 24.26% of patients without cancer and with COVID-19. Deaths occurred in 14.93% of patients with cancer and COVID-19 and 5.26% in patients without cancer and with COVID-19.
“In this case-control study, patients with cancer were at significantly increased risk for COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes, which was further exacerbated among African Americans,” concluded the study authors.—Lisa Kuhns
