Since the early SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, cancer patients have been assumed to be at higher risk for severe COVID-19. Here, we present an analysis of cancer patients from the LEOSS (Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients) registry to determine whether cancer patients are at higher risk. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 435 cancer patients and 2636 non-cancer patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, enrolled between March 16 and August 31, 2020. Data on socio-demographics, comorbidities, cancer-related features and infection course were collected. Age-, sex- and comorbidity-adjusted analysis was performed. Primary endpoint was COVID-19-related mortality. In total, 435 cancer patients were included in our analysis. Commonest age category was 76–85 years (36.5%), and 40.5% were female. Solid tumors were seen in 59% and lymphoma and leukemia in 17.5% and 11% of patients. Of these, 54% had an active malignancy, and 22% had recently received anti-cancer treatments. At detection of SARS-CoV-2, the majority (62.5%) presented with mild symptoms. Progression to severe COVID-19 was seen in 55% and ICU admission in 27.5%. COVID-19-related mortality rate was 22.5%. Male sex, advanced age, and active malignancy were associated with higher death rates. Comparing cancer and non-cancer patients, age distribution and comorbidity differed significantly, as did mortality (14% vs 22.5%, p value < 0.001). After adjustments for other risk factors, mortality was comparable. Comparing cancer and non-cancer patients, outcome of COVID-19 was comparable after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity. However, our results emphasize that cancer patients as a group are at higher risk due to advanced age and pre-existing conditions.

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COVID-19 in cancer patients: clinical characteristics and outcome-an analysis of the LEOSS registry

Carbohydrate-based magnetic nanocomposites for effective cancer treatment.

COVID-19 pandemic has brought a paradigm shift in the treatment of various surgical gastrointestinal disorders. Given the increasing number of patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care for SARS-CoV-2 infections, various surgical departments worldwide were forced to stop or postpone elective surgeries to save the health resources for COVID-19 patients. Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization on 12th March 2020, the recommendations from the surgical societies kept evolving to help the surgeons in making informed decisions regarding patient care. Moreover, various socio-economic and epidemiological factors have come into play while deciding the optimal approach towards patients requiring gastrointestinal surgery. Surgeries for many abdominal diseases such as acute appendicitis and acute calculous cholecystitis were postponed. Elective surgeries were triaged based on the urgency of performing the surgical procedure, the hospital burden of COVID-19 patients, and the availability of healthcare resources. Various measures were adopted such as preoperative screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, use of personal protective equipment, and the COVID-19-free surgical pathway to prevent perioperative SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In this article, we have reviewed the recent studies reporting the outcomes of various gastrointestinal surgeries in the COVID-19 pandemic era and the recommendations from various surgical societies on the safety precautions to be followed during gastrointestinal surgery.

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Impact of COVID-19 on the outcomes of gastrointestinal surgery

Background:Patients with cancer are hypothesised to be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, leading to changes in treatment pathways in those treated with systemic anti-cancer treatments (SAC...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1758835920971147

COVID-19 in cancer patients on systemic anti-cancer therapies: outcomes from the CAPITOL (COVID-19 Cancer PatIenT Outcomes in North London) cohort study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has left dramatic footprints on human health and economy. Cancer, whilst not an infective disease, is prevalent in epidemic proportions and cannot be pretermitted due to the impact of COVID-19. As we emanate from the second national lockdown in the UK with mixed feelings of hope and despair—due to vaccination and new COVID-19 variant, respectively—we reflect on the impact of the first wave on the provision on diagnosis and management of with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers. This review provides a critical analysis of available literature on COVID-19 and its impact on cancer management in general and that of UGI cancers in particular.

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Management

Background The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic, is characterised pathologically by inflammation, a feature considered to be a hallmark of another uncontrolled pandemic, “cancer”. Whilst these two diseases are separate entities with disparate aetiologies, they share some overlapping features—including multi-organ involvement, widespread inflammation, and a paucity of definitive treatment options. The pandemics are also comparable in their scale. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 18.1 million new global cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer-related deaths in 2018, with COVID-19 having 4.7 million cases and 316,289 fatalities as of 19 May 2020 [1]. There has been a decades-long drive to improve cancer outcomes, utilising the expertise of cancer researchers, epidemiologists, translational and clinical scientists, immunologists, statistical modellers, and health economists. The urgent, round-the-clock race to develop a vaccine or feasible treatment for COVID-19 is involving a similar multi-discipline effort.

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COVID-19 cancer conundrum-evidence driving decisions or the lack of it?

/pdf/thermal-ablation-in-colorectal-liver-metastases-the-paradox-12fmxaj8i9.pdf

Khurum Khan

Papers

COVID-19 cancer conundrum-evidence driving decisions or the lack of it?

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Management

Thermal ablation in colorectal liver metastases—the paradox of equipoise