ABSTRACT
Background: Cancer patients are at increased risk of infection due to immunosuppression, poor nutrition, and other health problems. Various studies have shown that cancer patients have a higher risk of serious complications related to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) than patients without cancer, however, the strength of associated varied significantly across the studies. We aim to analyze the differences in the clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and hospital outcomes of COVID-19 among patients with and without cancer. Method(s): This was a retrospective study of 1873 patients including 102 cancer patients who presented with SARS-CoV-2 infection at our hospital. Our primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate due to COVID-19 and the secondary outcome was a comparison of demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment parameters of cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors predictive of disease progression in the hospital, including death. Result(s): Cancer patients had a higher in-hospital mortality rate than non-cancer patients (26.5 vs 21.2 %, P=0.211). The proportion of people with anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia was significantly higher in the cancer group. The median value of inflammatory markers (ferritin, D-dimer, and IL-6) in the cancer group is approximately two times than non-cancer group. The odds of worsening [1.73 (1.01-2.95)] and death [2.83 (1.46-5.47)] during hospital stay were significantly higher in cancer patients. Hematological malignancies had higher odds of developing critical illness [4.96 (1.57-15.7)] and receiving mechanical ventilation [4.35 (1.27-15.0)] compared to non-cancer cases. In cancer patients, breathlessness and hypoxia at presentation were significant predictors of mortality when adjusted for other clinical features. Conclusion(s): Cancer patients with COVID-19 infection have abnormally high inflammatory responses compared with non-cancer patients and the development of breathlessness and hypoxia are important predictors of mortality. Patients with hematological malignancies have a higher risk of developing serious disease. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding(s): Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2022