Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia
Published on: December 19, 2020
Co-relation of SARS-CoV-2 related 30-d mortality with HRCT score and RT-PCR Ct value-based viral load in patients
Satya Narayan1, Vineet Talwar1, Varun Goel2
1Department of Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi 110085, India.
Insights
This study in India found that COVID-19 patients with cancer face higher mortality risks. High HRCT scores and recent chemotherapy significantly increased 30-day mortality in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
- Radiology
Background:
- Limited data exists on COVID-19 outcomes in Indian cancer patients.
- This study addresses this gap by analyzing mortality in this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate COVID-19 mortality within 30 days in cancer patients.
- To correlate mortality with HRCT scores and RT-PCR Ct values (viral load).
- To identify prognostic factors for COVID-19 outcomes in malignancy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 123 cancer patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Data collected included demographics, comorbidities, cancer details, and COVID-19 course.
- Logistic regression used to assess associations between mortality and variables like HRCT score and viral load.
Main Results:
- 21.1% of patients died within 30 days of diagnosis.
- Independent predictors of increased mortality included symptomatic presentation and chemotherapy in the last 4 weeks.
- Higher HRCT scores (moderate to severe) were significantly associated with increased 30-day mortality risk.
Conclusions:
- This is the first study from India to report on COVID-19 mortality in cancer patients.
- HRCT score is a significant predictor of short-term mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infected cancer patients.
- Findings highlight the need for close monitoring and tailored management of COVID-19 in cancer patients in India.
Background:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with malignancy are published worldwide but are lacking in data from India.
Aim:
To characterize COVID-19 related mortality outcomes within 30 d of diagnosis with HRCT score and RT-PCR Ct value-based viral load in various solid malignancies.
Methods:
Patients included in this study were with an active or previous malignancy and with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection from the institute database. We collected data on demographic details, baseline clinical conditions, medications, cancer diagnosis, treatment and the COVID-19 disease course. The primary endpoint was the association between the mortality outcome and the potential prognostic variables, specially, HRCT score, RT-PCR Ct value-based viral load, etc. using logistic regression analyses treatment received in 30 d.
Results:
Out of 131 patients, 123 met inclusion criteria for our analysis. The median age was 57 years (interquartile range = 19-82) while 7 (5.7%) were aged 75 years or older. The most prevalent malignancies were of GUT origin 49 (39.8%), hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) 40 (32.5%). 109 (88.6%) patients were on active anticancer treatment, 115 (93.5%) had active (measurable) cancer. At analysis on May 20, 2021, 26 (21.1%) patients had died. In logistic regression analysis, independent factors associated with an increased 30-d mortality were in patients with the symptomatic presentation. Chemotherapy in the last 4 wk, number of comorbidities (≥ 2 vs none: 3.43, 1.08-8.56). The univariate analysis showed that the risk of death was significantly associated with the HRCT score: for moderate (8-15) [odds ratio (OR): 3.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-9.12; P = 0.0132], severe (> 15) (OR: 7.44; 95%CI: 1.58-35.1; P = 0.0112).
Conclusion:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study from India reporting the association of HRCT score and RT-PCR Ct value-based 30-d mortality outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infected cancer patients.
