Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Increased Mortality Among Patients with Cancer Receiving Systemic Anticancer Treatments?

Objective: To evaluate the mortality rates in patients receiving anticancer therapy in the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic period.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Medical Oncology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey, from December 2017 to May 2020.

Methodology: Only patients who received chemotherapy and immunotherapy were selected and enrolled in the study. All patients (n=3,204) were divided into three groups, namely the first group (1st December 2017-31st May 2018, n=918), second group (1st December 2018-31st May 2019, n=1,147), and the pandemic period group (PPG) (1st December 2019-31st May 2020, n=1,139), according to the period during which they received anticancer treatment. The clinical and demographic characteristics and mortality rates of these three groups of patients were compared.

Results: The median age of the total of 3,204 patients was 61 (53-69). In this study, 51.1% (n=1,636) were females and 48.9% were males. The mortality rates were 13.5% (n=124) in the first group, 13.4% (n=154) in the second group, and 13.0% (n=148) in the PPG, respectively. Overall mortality rates did not differ among patients with cancer in the three different six-month periods analysed (p = 0.931).

Conclusion: There was no unexpected increased in mortality rate among patients undergoing cancer therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the previous years of the same timeline. No increase in monthly mortality rates among patients receiving anti-cancer treatment were demonstrated during the pandemic period.