ArticleCancers2025
Colorectal Cancer Risk Following Herpes Zoster Reactivation in COVID-19 Survivors: Global Multicenter Study Using TriNetX.
Article in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Atezolizumab-Bevacizumab and Durvalumab-Tremelimumab as First-Line Systemic Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Real-World Study.Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 has been linked to prolonged immune dysfunction and long-term health complications. Herpes zoster (HZ), a marker of impaired cell-mediated immunity, may signal increased vulnerability to infections, cardiovascular disease, and potentially cancer. However, its association with colorectal cancer (CRC) after COVID-19 has not been fully explored.
objectiveTo investigate the long-term risks of cardiovascular events, acute respiratory failure, sepsis, and CRC in COVID-19 survivors who developed HZ compared to those who did not.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and January 2022 were included. Among the full cohort (aged ≥18 years), 27,664 patients with post-COVID HZ were identified. Due to platform limitations, propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to a restricted subgroup of patients aged 55-60 years, yielding a 1:1 matched cohort for controlled comparisons. Outcomes were assessed over a three-year follow-up.
resultsIn the matched age-restricted cohort, patients with post-COVID HZ had significantly higher risks of cardiovascular events, acute respiratory failure, sepsis, and CRC compared to matched controls. Subgroup analyses identified age ≥ 50, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension as strong independent risk factors across outcomes. Despite the low absolute CRC incidence, cancer-free survival significantly favored the non-HZ group.
conclusionHerpes zoster reactivation after COVID-19 is associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. Enhanced surveillance and early CRC screening may benefit this high-risk population.
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