New research recently showed active cancer patients admitted at the hospital were more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who have a history of cancer or those who don't have any diagnosis of cancer.
Results of the study published in Wiley early online in an American Cancer Society's peer-reviewed journal, CANCER, also specified that those who have active blood cancers are at higher risk of dying because of COVID-19 infection.
Study authors did not find an increased risk of mortality among patients who were given cancer treatments in the three months or more before hospital confinement.
According to a EurekAlert report, To examine further how cancer, or the different therapies applied to treat it, can impact the health of patients who develop COVID-19, a group of researchers analyzed the NYU Langone Medical Center's records of more than 4,100 hospitalized patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the type of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This particular group comprised about 233 patients who have a current or active diagnosis of cancer.
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A cancer patient receives her vaccine while others talk and laugh in an oncology unit at a hospital.
Cancer Patients at Higher Risk of Dying
According to this new research, more patients comprising 34.3 percent of the participants, who had an active cancer diagnosis, were likely to die from the infectious disease compared to those who had a history of cancer, comprising 27.6 percent of the volunteers, and those who didn't have any history of cancer at 20.0 percent.
A similar Mirage News report specified, among the study's active cancer patients, those who had blood-related cancers were in danger of death. Being given systemic anticancer therapy, which includes chemotherapy, molecularly targeted treatments, as well as immunotherapy, within three months before hospital admission was not linked to a higher risk of death, and the researchers did not find any differences according to the cancer therapy type received.
The study's senior author Daniel Becker, MD said, they were able to complete a large chart review-based study of patients admitted at the hospital with COVID-19 and discovered that patients who had active cancer, but not a history of cancer, were more possible to die.
Remarkably though, among those admitted at the hospital with active cancer and COVID-19 at the same time, recent cancer treatment was not linked with worse results, explained Becker.
He added those who have active cancer need to take precautions against contacting COVID-19 which included vaccination but need not avoid treatment for cancer.
COVID-19 and Cancer
Earlier on, Cleveland Clinic posted an article on its website stating three reasons cancer may increase one's risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
The first reason is that treatment is overpowering the immune system. It is the treatment, but not necessarily the illness, that's making cancer patients more susceptible to COVID-19.
The second reason is that cancer may decrease the function of the organs. Essentially, certain advanced cancers may impact the function of the organ-like lung or kidney function, with the decreased function of the organs. People have a more difficult time enduring a severe illness.
Lastly, cancers may impact immune function. Bloodborne cancers like leukemia or lymphoma impact how well one's immune system works. People with this illness may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
Related information is shown on the Drbeen Medical Lecture's YouTube video below:
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