ArticleBMC cancer2025
Early mortality in patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection treated with immunotherapy.
Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundImmunotherapy in the presence of COVID-19 infections raises concerns because of potential overlapping clinical complications and immune system enhancement. Further investigation is warranted to establish its safety and to improve clinical decisions.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked health administrative data from Ontario, Canada to assess 30-day mortality in patients with solid tumors who were treated with immunotherapy within 120 days before testing positive for COVID-19. A stepwise multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify clinical factors associated with 30-day mortality.
resultsBetween January 2020 and April 2023, 281 patients tested positive for COVID-19 and were included in our study. The mean age was 68 (Standard Deviation: 10.3), 45% (127/281) were females and 58% (163/281) had lung cancer. 59% of patients (167/281) were treated with single agent immunotherapy, and almost 80% received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The 30-day mortality was 22% (63/281) and < 5% of patients were admitted to ICU or required ventilation. Factors associated with higher mortality were older age (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-2.39), prior radiation therapy (OR 2.38, 95%CI 1.08-5.28), lower hemoglobin (< 10 g/dl) (OR 4.08, 95%CI 1.89-8.82) and higher leucocytes count (> 11,000/mm
conclusionsImmunotherapy does not seem to increase the risk of 30-day mortality in patients with COVID-19 infections compared to published outcomes of patients with cancer and COVID-19. Mortality was associated with certain clinical characteristics that need to be carefully examined when prescribing immunotherapy during future comparable pandemics.
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