Risk of SARS-CoV2-related mortality in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line immunotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Banna, Giuseppe Luigi; Cantale, Ornella; Friedlaender, Alex; Yusof, Harliana; Acharige, Shyamika; Alfredo, Addeo

BACKGROUND The impact of systemic anticancer treatments on SARS-CoV-2-related mortality is still debatable. METHODS By a retrospective analysis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line Pembrolizumab or in combination with chemotherapy (ChT) during the first surge of the pandemic. RESULTS The adjusted risk of death was higher in patients treated with ChT + Pembrolizumab (HR 4.6, 1.2-17.4, p = 0.02). The SARS-CoV-2-related mortality rate was higher in patients treated with ChT + Pembrolizumab (p = 0.03), ≥70 years (p = 0.03) and current smokers (p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS The addition of ChT to immunotherapy could be associated with increased risk of mortality and higher SARS-CoV-2-related mortality rate.