Incidence of COVID-19 in cancer patients in a teaching hospital faculty of medicine in Medan, Indonesia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of COVID-19 in cancer patients in the Teaching Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. This descriptive study was conducted at H. Adam Malik Hospital and USU General Hospital, Medan, from March 2020 to August 2021. The main inclusion criteria for the participants were COVID-19 and confirmed cancer. A total sampling technique was used. Among the 3308 COVID-19 patients studied, the mean age was 44 years, ranging from 1 day to 92 years. Male participants were slightly more prevalent (51.8% vs 48.2%). Twenty-five of these patients (0.75%) had both COVID-19 and cancer, and thus met the inclusion criteria. The most common types of cancer were leukemia (20.0%), breast cancer (20.0%), ovarian cancer (16.0%), lymphoma (8.0%), and osteosarcoma (8.0%). The proportions of patients with mild, moderate, and severe degrees of COVID-19 where 48.0%, 24.0%, and 28.0%, respectively. Seven patients required intensive care, and five died. The incidence of COVID-19 in patients with cancer was relatively low. Nevertheless, almost a third of cancer patients with COVID-19 developed severe disease and had poor prognoses. Vaccination among cancer patients is important to protect them from poor outcomes if exposed to COVID-19.