Treatment of cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic
Background. Cancer patients comprise one of the most vulnerable subpopulations under COVID-19 pandemic, since the incidence of COVID-19 among cancer patients exceeds this value in general population. Risk of severe COVID-19 infection and mortality is higher in patients with cancer. Objective. Searching and retrospective analysis of risk factors of mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19 infection. Material and methods. A retrospective analysis included 31 cancer patients who underwent surgery at the Herzen Moscow Oncology Research Institute. COVID-19 was detected in postoperative period in each patient. We have compared survivors and non-survivors and assessed the risk factors of mortality. Results. COVID-19 in postoperative period occurred in 31 (4.74%) out of 722 patients. Hypertension (74.2%, n=23) and cardiac diseases including coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure (19.35%, n=6) were the most common comorbidities. Incidence of coronavirus infection was the highest among patients with colorectal cancer (16.13%, n=5), kidney cancer (16.13%, n=5) and lung cancer (12.9%, n=4). We found the following risk factors of mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19: CHD (OR 7.0, 95% CI 1.014-48.313, p<0.05), COPD (OR 15.000, 95% CI 1.397-161.052, p<0.05), lung cancer (OR 12.000, 95% CI 1.074-134.116, p<0.05), and mechanical ventilation (OR 135.000, 95% CI 7.485-2435.007, p<0.05).