COVID-CANCER HUIL - Registry of oncological patients with diagnosis of COVID-19 at Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor in Madrid (Spain): One year of pandemic

ABSTRACT

Background: During the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic the management and treatment of COVID-19 have been improved. However, cancer patients continue to be one of the most affected. We evaluate the mortality rate due to COVID-19 and associated risk factors in the cancer population diagnosed in our center during the first year of pandemic. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 189 cancer patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 5, 2020 and February 28, 2021. Mortality rate nd associated risk factors were studied. Results: Mortality rate 55/189 patients. Mean age 72 years (34-95), 125/189 male patients. Predominant histologies lung cancer (72/189), colorectal (31/189), breast (24/189). Predominant staging metastatic disease (113/189). Predominant cancer treatment chemotherapy (63/189);118/189 patients were receiving any type of oncological treatment with palliative intention. Mortality was associated with male gender (45/55 vs 10/55, p=0.004), presence of comorbidities (48/55 vs 7/55, p=0.01), lung cancer (28/72 deaths with this tumor vs 27/117 with the rest, p=0.02), palliative intention cancer treatment (41/55 vs 12/55, p=0.02), older median age (76 vs 71, p = 0.02), higher median CRP (p=115.6 mg/dl vs 46 mg/dl), lower median lymphocytes (600/mm3 vs 1000/mm3 p<0.001). No specific treatment against COVID-19 significantly decreased mortality. Neither IL-6 nor ferritin were prognostic biomarkers. In multivariate analysis, male gender (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.1-5.9, p = 0.02), lung cancer (OR 2.0, CI 1.0-3.8, p = 0.03), cancer treatment with palliative intention (OR 2.4, CI 1.07-5.3, p = 0.03), higher median CRP (OR 1.0, CI 1.00-1.01, p <0.001), as well as low lymphocyte median (OR 0.5, CI 0.25-1.0, p = 0.56), continued to be evidenced as risk factors, regardless of comorbidities, staging, sex, and palliative intention cancer-specific treatment, among other variables. Conclusions: Men with lung cancer under cancer-specific treatment with palliative intention who present, at the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection with elevated CRP above 115 mg/dl and a decrease in lymphocytes below 600/mm3 have a higher risk of presenting fatal complications. Legal entity responsible for the study Medical Oncology department, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.