Clinical and epidemiologic aspects of patients with cancer and COVID 19 in a Brazilian cancer center

Background: Patients with cancer are more likely to develop infections due to a more fragile immune system as a consequence of the oncological treatment, increasing the chance of COVID-19 contamination and higher mortality This study aims to evaluate the severity of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients, determining the clinical and epidemiological aspects that are associated with worse outcomes Methods: We examined the association between cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and respiratory failure, need of Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and death in a medical center in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil We included patients with cancer in treatment or in followup that were infected by COVID-19 and excluded those diagnosed with cancer in situ, cutaneous squamous cell, and basal cell skin cancer Active disease was defined as metastatic disease or less than 1 year of finished curative-intent treatment Results: Of 90 patients analyzed, the mean age was 56 years-old and 80% were female Regarding histology, breast cancer represented the majority of cases with 35 6% and cervical cancer 21 1% Overall, 51 6% were stage IV (55 6% with metastatic disease) and 43 3% of the patients had a good performance status when diagnosed with COVID-19 After initial hospitalization, 30 patients (33 3%) were sent to an ICU Of the 90 patients initially followed, 34 died (37 7%) Metastatic disease and active disease were related to increased mortality (P=0 041 and P=0 006, respectively) Conclusions: In this observational study with cancer patients and diagnosed with COVID-19, metastatic disease, and active disease were related to increased mortality This analysis can help to select which patients may gain with increased isolation and even treatment interruption, reducing exposure to infection Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors Funding: Has not received any funding Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest