COVID-19 Mortality in Cancer Patients: A Report from a Tertiary Cancer Centre in India

Mehta, A.; Vasudevan, S.; Parkash, A.; Sharma, A.; Vashist, T.; Krishna, V.

Background: Cancer patients, especially those receiving cytotoxic therapy are assumed to have a higher probability of death from COVID-19. We have conducted this study to identify the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) in cancer patients with COVID-19 and have explored the relationship of various clinical factors to mortality in our patient cohort. Methods: All active cancer cases presented to the hospital from 8th June to 24 August 2020, and developed symptoms/ radiological features suspicious of COVID-19 were tested by Real-time polymerase chain reaction assay and/or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test from a combination of naso-oropharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2. Clinical data, treatment details, and outcomes were assessed from the medical records. Results: Of the total 3101 cancer patients admitted to the hospital, 1088 patients were tested and 186 patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The CFR in the cohort was 27/186 (14.5%). Univariate analysis showed that the risk of death was significantly associated with the presence of comorbidities [OR: 2.68; (95%CI: 1.13-6.32); P=0.02], multiple comorbidities [OR: 3.01; (95%CI: 1.02-9.07); P=0.046 for multiple vs. single], and the severity of COVID-19 presentation [OR: 27.48; (95%CI: 5.34-141.49); P=0.0001 for severe vs. not severe]. Among all comorbidities, diabetes [OR: 3.3; (95%CI: 1.35-8.09); P=0.008] and cardiovascular diseases [OR: 3.77; (95%CI: 1.02-13.91); P=0.045] were significant risk factors for death. The receipt of anticancer treatments including chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy within a month before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms had no significant effect on the mortality of cancer patients. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study from India reporting the CFR, clinical associations, and risk factors for mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infected cancer patients. Our study shows that the frequency of COVID-19 in cancer patients is high, and the CFR is 7.6 times more than the national average. Anticancer therapies did not increase the risk of death. Pre-existing comorbidities specially diabetes, multiple comorbidities, and severity of COVID-19 presenting symptoms are significantly linked with COVID-19 related death in the cohort.