A retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with advanced genitourinary cancers.

Background: COVID-19 vaccination is one of the pivotal key tools against the ongoing pandemic, but its acceptance relies on efficacy and safety data among various populations, including patients with cancers. However, there is limited data on seroconversion rates, efficacy, and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with cancer. Breakthrough infections after vaccination have also been reported, which could further strengthen the refusal behavior of specific populations to be immunized. Our objective was to investigate the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in real-world patients with advanced genitourinary cancers. Methods and results: A retrospective study of the 738 patients with advanced metastatic genitourinary malignancy was conducted at our genitourinary oncology clinic from October 2020 to September 2021, out of which 462 patients (62.6%) were vaccinated. During the study period, two vaccinated, and six unvaccinated patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (breakthrough infection rate: 0.4% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.027). Vaccine protection against infection was 81.8% (95% CI: 0.04-0.98). One vaccinated and 4 unvaccinated patients were hospitalized due to COVID-19 (0.2% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.048). Vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalization was 85.7% (95% CI: 0.02-1.33). Within one month of vaccination, 1.5% of patients (n = 7) had emergency visits, 0.8% (n = 4) were hospitalized for any reason, and of these, 3 (0.6%) experienced a delay in the receipt of their cancer therapy. Conclusion: In our hypothesis-generating data among patients with advanced genitourinary cancers, COVID-19 vaccination was efficacious and safe and was rarely associated with treatment disruptions. These data should help improve the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the general population and patients with cancer. The vaccine effectiveness in our patients is comparable with existing published data without cancer.

Clinical outcomes in patients with COPD hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 versus non- SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have poor outcomes in the setting of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The primary objective is to compare outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 CAP and non-SARS-CoV-2 CAP in patients with COPD. The secondary objective is to compare outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 CAP with and without COPD. METHODS: In this analysis of two observational studies, three cohorts were analyzed: (1) patients with COPD and SARS-CoV-2 CAP; (2) patients with COPD and non-SARS-CoV-2 CAP; and (3) patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP without COPD. Outcomes included length of stay, ICU admission, cardiac events, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients with COPD and SARS-CoV-2 CAP were compared to 1129 patients with COPD and non-SARS-CoV-2 CAP. 536 patients without COPD and SARS-CoV-2 CAP were analyzed for the secondary objective. Patients with COPD and SARS-CoV-2 CAP had longer hospital stay (15 vs 5 days, p < 0.001), 4.98 higher odds of cardiac events (95% CI: 3.74-6.69), and 7.31 higher odds of death (95% CI: 5.36-10.12) in comparison to patients with COPD and non-SARS-CoV-2 CAP. In patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP, presence of COPD was associated with 1.74 (95% CI: 1.39-2.19) higher odds of ICU admission and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.05-2.05) higher odds of death. CONCLUSION: In patients with COPD and CAP, presence of SARS-CoV-2 as an etiologic agent is associated with more cardiovascular events, longer hospital stay, and seven-fold increase in mortality. In patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP, presence of COPD is associated with 1.5-fold increase in mortality.

Anticancer Therapy in COViD-19 Patients: A Descriptive Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a descriptive literature review about the effects of anticancer treatment on clinical outcomes because of active COVID-19 infection in older people. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, American Society of Clinical Oncology, European Society for Medical Oncology, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Articles published in English between December 1, 2019, to September 1, 2020, were included. STUDY SELECTION: Nine studies assessing the effectiveness of various modalities for cancer treatments in patients infected with COVID-19 infection were reviewed. The studies reviewed the severity of COVID-19 infection outcomes in patients who underwent any anticancer treatment. Studies exclusively focused on older people could not be found, but all studies included older people. DATA SYNTHESiS AND RESULTS: Early pandemic studies suggested avoiding anticancer treatment during a COVID-19 infection because of poor clinical outcomes and increased mortality. However, the totality of studies reviewed found no association between the continuation of anticancer treatment and adverse COVID-19 outcomes in cancer patients. Adverse COVID-19 infection outcomes and high mortality rates were associated with older cancer patients independent of anticancer therapy. CONCLUSION: Treatment of cancer could be challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interruption or delaying the anticancer therapy could increase the burden of overall mortality. This literature review indicated that adverse outcomes because of COVID-19 are associated with advanced age independent of anticancer therapy. Further exploration of the correlation between cancer, anticancer treatments, and COVID-19 infection outcomes is needed.