Abstract
BackgroundCancer patients are considered as highly vulnerable individuals in the current COVID-19 pandemic. We studied the clinical characteristics of survivor and non-survivor COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Pakistan.Patients and MethodsWe did a retrospective study of 70 cancer patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore and Peshawar, Pakistan between April 13 and July 09, 2020. These patients were discharged from the hospital or had died by July 09, 2020. Clinical, pathological and radiological characteristics were compared between survivors and non-survivors by fisher’s exact test and chi-square test. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to explore the risk factors of mortality.ResultsSeventy cancer patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled and the majority were males 38 (54.3%). 57 (81.4%) had solid tumors and 13 (18.6%) had hematological malignancies. Dyspnea (44 cases) was the most common symptom (62.9%). Complications were reported in 51 (72.9%) patients during the course of disease. 19 (27.1%) patients were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). A significant increase in the C-reactive protein level and neutrophil count was observed in the deceased patients as compared to the surviving patients. D-dimer values of ≥0.2 mg/L were significantly associated with mortality (P=0.01). We identified two independent risk factors associated with death, ICU admission (P=0.007) and D-dimer (P=0.003).ConclusionPakistani cancer patients with COVID-19 infection reported poor prognosis. Intensive surveillance of clinicopathological characteristics of cancer patients infected with COVID-19 especially D-dimer values may play a pivotal role in the outcome of the disease.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]
We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of survivors and non-survivors COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Pakistan
In addition to the few studies recently reported from China, this is the first retrospective study conducted in Pakistan to illustrate the comparative analysis of clinical characteristics, treatment, radiological and laboratory findings of survivor and non-survivor COVID-19-infected cancer patients
Summary
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. The virus was first detected in December 2019, in Wuhan, China [2]. The whole world including Pakistan is experiencing COVID19 outbreaks [3]. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020 [4]. As of March 11, 2021, 117,160,237 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with 2,598,892 deaths [5]. In Pakistan 597,497 COVID-19, cases and 13,377 deaths have been confirmed, as of March 12, 2021 [6]. Cancer patients are considered as highly vulnerable individuals in the current COVID-19 pandemic. We studied the clinical characteristics of survivor and nonsurvivor COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Pakistan
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