Oncologist. 2021 Mar 29. doi: 10.1002/onco.13768. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) among patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
METHODS: Retrospective study of 1,545 patients with cancer treated with ICIs between July 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020 and 20,418 age-, sex-, and cancer category-matched controls in a large referral hospital system. Confirmed COVID-19 case and mortality data were obtained with Massachusetts Department of Public Health from March 1 through June 19, 2020.
RESULTS: The mean age was 66.6 years and 41.9% were female. There were 22 (1.4%) and 213 (1.0%) COVID-19 cases in the ICI and control groups, respectively. When adjusting for demographics, medical comorbidities, and local infection rates, ICIs did not increase COVID-19 susceptibility.
CONCLUSION: ICIs did not increase the rate of COVID-19. This information may assist patients and their oncologists in decision-making surrounding cancer treatment during this pandemic.
PMID:33783099 | DOI:10.1002/onco.13768