Cancer Patient's Health Risk Increase With Coronavirus Infection

A study published in The Lancet Oncology found that patients with cancer might have a higher risk of COVID-19 disease than individuals without cancer.

Additionally, this study showed that patients with cancer had poorer outcomes from COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The median age of the patients in this small study published on February 14, 2020, was about 63 years, which is significantly higher than for those without cancer (48 years), suggesting that older age is associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes.

These researchers proposed 3 major strategies for patients with cancer during this COVID-19 crisis, and in future attacks of severe infectious diseases:

• an intentional postponing of adjuvant chemotherapy or elective surgery for stable cancer should be considered in endemic areas
• stronger personal protection provisions should be made for patients with cancer or cancer survivors
• more intensive surveillance or treatment should be considered when patients with cancer are infected with SARS-CoV-2, especially in older patients or those with other comorbidities

On March 3rd, The Lancet published a follow-on article that highlighted 'COVID-19 is a highly contagious infection to which everyone, to our knowledge, is susceptible.

In China’s COVID-19 outbreak, the major risk for patients with cancer is the inability to receive necessary medical services, both in terms of getting to hospital and provision of normal medical care once there.

During this epidemic, in addition to better protection, patients with cancer need online medical counseling and appropriate identification and treatment of critical cases, concluded these researchers.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak news published by Coronavirus Today.