Srilagna Sarkar, Amity University Kolkata
Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) and related to the Coronavirus disease as seen has led to a novel degree of disturbance globally. Whether oncology stakeholders, its patients, families or clinicians are adjusting and conforming with the challenges caused by the convergence of the two-life threatening diseases.
Two studies by Albiges et al. and Rugge et al., in Nature Cancer, gives insight into the determinants of the result in severe COVID-19 patients with cancer. The first studies revealed conflicting results. The early studies in 5,688 of New York City COVID-19 patients, 6% of which had Cancer and the rest were without cancer, showed unclear results in the difference between the two groups of patients. On contrary, another multi-centre study of 14 hospitals with 641 COVID-19 patients of which 105 were with cancer and the rest of the 536 patients were without cancer, matched by age, time and the site of hospitalization. Signified that the ones both with Covid-19 and cancer had a higher risk of in-hospital infection, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation with observable death rates; than of those with only COVID-19.
Though the inconsistent findings from these and earlier series indicated towards the need for continued reporting and analysis of death rate and another clinical outcome of patients with both COVID-19 and cancer.
To, increase the growing evidence Albigo et al. and Rugge et al. presented their early independent study from France and Italy. Albigo et al. analyzed variables with prognostic value for clinical worsening or death in 178 COVID-19 patients with and without cancer, for 6 weeks. Reports showed an increased risk of death in patients of above 70 years of age. One of the most important findings of Albigo et al. is that the glimpse that is provided on the impact of COVID-19 on cancer strategies and posts COVID-19 assessment of cancer patients.
Rugge et al’s study showed a report from the population level view of COVID-19 and cancer patients among the residents of Venito region. This study can be considered as important as not many data have been reported directly from the community.
Hence, with the growing shreds of evidence and the effects of COVID-19 in patients with and without cancer. Population-based, clinic-epidemiological studies are important as they are better exhibitors for the general mass with cancer.
Also read: COVID UPDATE: Decrease in daily active cases in India
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