Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33136163›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the National Cancer Institute2021

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19-Infected Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hua Zhang, Han Han, Tianhui He, Kristen E Labbe, Adrian V Hernandez, Haiquan Chen, Vamsidhar Velcheti, Justin Stebbing, Kwok-Kin Wong

RetractedErratum issuedAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 130 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
130citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

130 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  15. Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and mortality of primary spinal tumors in the United States: A SEER analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
    Article
  16. Impact of COVID-19 infection on genitourinary cancer management. SOGUG-COVID-19: A spanish, multicenter, observational study.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
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70 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Hua ZhangLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Han HanLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Tianhui HeDepartment of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Kristen E LabbeLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Adrian V HernandezHealth Outcomes, Policy, and Evidence Synthesis (HOPES) Group, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Haiquan ChenDepartments of Thoracic Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Vamsidhar VelchetiLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Justin StebbingDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Kwok-Kin WongLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

Department of Health NIHR-RP-011-053
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious studies have indicated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer have a high fatality rate.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review of studies that reported fatalities in COVID-19 patients with cancer. A comprehensive meta-analysis that assessed the overall case fatality rate and associated risk factors was performed. Using individual patient data, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for each variable with outcomes.

resultsWe included 15 studies with 3019 patients, of which 1628 were men; 41.0% were from the United Kingdom and Europe, followed by the United States and Canada (35.7%), and Asia (China, 23.3%). The overall case fatality rate of COVID-19 patients with cancer measured 22.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.3% to 28.0%). Univariate analysis revealed age (OR = 3.57, 95% CI = 1.80 to 7.06), male sex (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.13), and comorbidity (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.04 to 3.85) were associated with increased risk of severe events (defined as the individuals being admitted to the intensive care unit, or requiring invasive ventilation, or death). In multivariable analysis, only age greater than 65 years (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.45 to 6.88) and being male (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.87) were associated with increased risk of severe events.

conclusionsOur analysis demonstrated that COVID-19 patients with cancer have a higher fatality rate compared with that of COVID-19 patients without cancer. Age and sex appear to be risk factors associated with a poorer prognosis.

Indexed as

AsiaCanadaComorbidityCOVID-19EuropeFemaleHumansMaleNeoplasmsRisk FactorsSARS-CoV-2Survival RateUnited KingdomUnited States

Identifiers

PMID33136163
PMCPMC7665647

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.