Clinical Course and Risk Factors Affecting Mortality in Patients with Solid Organ Malignancies and COVID-19...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Solid organ malignancy (SOM) patients are a vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Evidence indicates higher severe outcomes, hospitalization, and mortality rates in SOM patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with SOM.
• To determine the impact of SOM on COVID-19 related mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study of COVID-19 positive patients (PCR confirmed).
• Control group comprised patients without malignancy, matched for age, sex, comorbidities, and vaccination status.
• Analysis of clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality.

Main Results:

• SOM patients (n=144) showed significantly higher rates of hospital admission, secondary infections, critical illness, ICU admission, oxygen therapy, and corticosteroid use compared to controls (n=436).
• Multivariate analysis identified age, male sex, SOM, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as significant risk factors for mortality.
• Solid organ malignancy was associated with a 3.8-fold increased risk of death.

Conclusions:

• Patients with SOM have a substantially elevated risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection.
• Close monitoring of age, sex, inflammatory markers, and biomarkers is essential in SOM patients with COVID-19.
• Findings highlight the need for early risk stratification and tailored treatment strategies for COVID-19 management in high-risk populations.