The Duration and Determinants of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin G in Cancer Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Longitudinal Study.

Patients with cancer have an increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and a high case-fatality rate. The duration of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in cancer patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been reported previously. We conducted a longitudinal study at a cancer center in Wuhan, China to determine the duration of the humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients and to determine factors associated with a short duration (< 6 months) of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG). Of 2139 cancer patients screened, 78 with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were present for < 6 months in 39.7% of these patients. In addition, patients who received chemotherapy were more likely to have a short duration of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (odds ratio 5.31, 95% confidence interval 1.09-26.02, P < 0.05). Our study suggests that cancer patients, especially those who were receiving chemotherapy, have a shorter anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG duration following infection and therefore, should be prioritized for vaccination.

Brachytherapy care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Practice statement from a cancer center in Wuhan, China.

PURPOSE: COVID-19 broke out in late 2019 and rapidly spread around the world and became a pandemic. This highly contagious disease affects routine health care services and patients with cancer who are susceptible to it. Delivering brachytherapy on time is critical for patients with cancer to get better prognosis. The purpose of this study is to present workflow and standard for radiation centers to deliver brachytherapy and avoid cross-infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study combined previous literature and guidelines of precaution with clinical experience in the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A workflow covering patients' screening, health care workers' precaution, training, and other aspects of the whole brachytherapy procedure was established. CONCLUSIONS: From the reopening of radiation center to mid-May in 2020, there is no hospital infection of COVID-19 in patients or health care workers. This recommendation is effective and helpful to other cancer centers.