COVID-19 mortality in cancer patients is not affected by anti-cancer treatments: Study

A new study led by the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford has found the mortality rate in cancer patients who are treated in hospitals with COVID-19 is not significantly affected by chemotherapy or other anti-cancer treatments.

Hyderabad: The Universities of Birmingham and Oxford has conducted a study to find out the mortality rate in cancer patients who are treated in hospital with COVID-19.

The study was led by a committee of the UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project (UKCCMP) which launched in March and collects information on UK cancer patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19.

The project was set up to evaluate how chemotherapy or other active cancer treatment like radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal therapy impacted the mortality rate among the cancer patients.

Local clinicians at each participating centre reported the clinical outcome of the inputted patients, recording whether they died or were discharged, and also detailing other important risk factors such as age, gender, and the presence of comorbidities.

Fifty-five cancer centres across the UK reported into the UKCCMP, analysing the outcomes of the first 800 COVID19-positive cancer patients.

Results found 169 of the 800 were reported as having no comorbidities other than cancer. In the remaining 631 patients, other comorbidities included hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

According to joint-lead author Dr. Lennard Lee, Medical Oncology Clinical Academic from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, the project will help us understand what can be achieved by the UK oncology community. The UKCCMP projects will be crucial in providing the necessary tools to enable to identify and mitigate risks to cancer patients now and in any possible pandemic phases. This will ensure the highest levels of cancer care will continue to be provided across the UK.