Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cancer patients are more susceptible to infections, and infection can be more severe than in patients without cancer diagnosis. We conducted this retrospective study in patients admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to find differences in inflammatory markers and mortality in cancer patients compared to others. METHODS: We reviewed the electronic records of patients admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by PCR from March to September 2020. Data on socio-demographics, comorbidities, inflammatory makers, and cancer-related features were analyzed. RESULTS: 2,772 patients were admitted for SARS-CoV-2, to the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal in Madrid during this period. Of these, 2,527 (91%) had no history of neoplastic disease, 164 (5.9%) patients had a prior history of cancer but were not undergoing oncological treatment at the time of infection, and 81 (2.9%) were in active treatment. Mortality in patients without a history of cancer was 19.5%, 28.6% for patients with a prior history of cancer, and 34% in patients with active cancer treatment. Patients in active oncology treatment with the highest mortality rate were those diagnosed with lung cancer (OR 5.6 95% CI: 2.2-14.1). In the multivariate study, active oncological treatment (OR 2.259 95% CI: 1.35-3.77) and chemotherapy treatment (OR 3.624 95% CI: 1.17-11.17), were statistically significant factors for the risk of death for the whole group and for the group with active oncological treatment, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cancer patients on active systemic treatment have an increased risk of mortality after SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially with lung cancer or chemotherapy treatment.