The experience of treating patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Background: Cancer patients are regarded as highly vulnerable group in the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19pandemic Up to date, the clinical characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19 are largely unknown Patients and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we collected and analyzed data of the cancer patients with y confirmed COVID-19 infection from three designated hospitals in Wuhan, China from Jan 13, 2020, to Feb 26,2020 Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the risk factors associated with severe events defined as a condition that admission to an intensive care unit, the use of mechanical ventilation, or death We also followed 124 cancer patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and their families for their infection rate and clinical outcome Results: Twenty-eight COVID-19 infected cancer patients were included with median age of 65 0 years (IQR:56 0-70 0) and male gender of 60 7% (17/28) Amount of these 28 patients, 7 (25%) had lung cancer, and 8 (28 6%) were considered to be infected via hospital-associated transmission Fifteen (53 6%) patients had severe events with themortality rate of 28 6% The last anti-tumor treatment with in 14 days from the diagnoses of COVID significant increased risk of developing severe events (HR=4 079, 95%CI 1 086-15 322, P=0 037) The common chest CTfindings were ground-glass opacity (21, 75 0%) and patchy consolidation (13, 46 3%) The patchy consolidation onCT had a higher risk for developing severe events (HR=5 438, 95%CI 1 498-19 748, P=0 010) There was only onepatient (1/124, 0 8%) who have been on ICI treatment for his metastatic HCC confirmed with COVID infection, and with mild clinic presentation and a short hospital course Conclusions: Cancer patients showed aggressive presentation and poor outcomes with the COVID-19 infection It isrecommended that vigorous screening for COVID-19 infection should be performed for cancer patients with anti-tumor From our limited data, there is no evidence to suggest difference in cancer patients on ICI treatment