Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer
Recommended Citation
Warner JL, Pinato DJ, Mishra S, Saliby RM, Hwang C, Gulati S, McKay RR, Labaki C, Griffiths EA, Jani C, Yu PP, Portuguese AJ, Puc M, Egan P, Shah S, Kasi A, Berg SA, Flora DB, Accordino MK, Shah DP. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer. 2022; (16_suppl).
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
6-2-2022
Abstract
Background: Most patients with cancer and COVID-19 will survive the acute illness. The longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on patients with cancer remain incompletely described. Methods: Using COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium registry data thru 12/31/2021, we examined outcomes of long-term COVID-19 survivors with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC aka “long COVID”). PASC was defined as having recovered w/ complications or having died w/ ongoing infection 90+ days from original diagnosis; absence of PASC was defined as having fully recovered by 90 days, with 90+ days of follow-up. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 re-infection and records with low quality data were excluded. Results: 858 of 3710 of included patients (23%) met PASC criteria. Median follow-up (IQR) for PASC and recovered patients was 180 (98-217) and 180 (90-180) days, respectively. The PASC group had a higher rate of baseline comorbidities and poor performance status (Table). Cancer types, status, and recent anticancer treatment were similar between the groups. The PASC group experienced a higher illness burden, with more hospitalized (83% vs 48%); requiring ICU (29% vs 6%); requiring mechanical ventilation (17% vs 2%); and experiencing co-infections (19% vs 8%). There were more deaths in the PASC vs recovered group (8% vs 3%), with median (IQR) days to death of 158 (120-272) and 180 (130-228), respectively. Of these, 9% were attributed to COVID-19; 15% to both COVID-19 and cancer; 15% to cancer; and 23% to other causes. Conversely, no deaths in the recovered group were attributed to COVID-19; 57% were attributed to cancer; and 24% to other causes (proximal cause of death unknown/missing in 38% and 19%, respectively). Cancer treatment modification was more common in the recovered group (23% vs 18%). Conclusions: Patients with underlying comorbidities, worse ECOG PS, and more severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection had higher rates of PASC. These patients suffered more severe complications and incurred worse outcomes. There was an appreciable rate of death in both PASC and non-PASC, with cancer the dominant but not only cause in fully recovered patients. Further study is needed to understand what factors drive PASC, and whether longer-term cancer-specific outcomes will be affected.
Issue
16_suppl
