Bilja Sajith, MSN, PhD, APRN, (she/her/hers)
Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care Services
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston
Disclosure information not submitted.
John Cuenca, MD (he/him/his)
Clinical Research Assistant
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas
Disclosure information not submitted.
Dereddi Raja Reddy, MD, FACP FCCP
Assistant Professor, Program Director MS4 McGovern Medical School
MD Anderson Cancer Care Center
Houston, Texas
Disclosure information not submitted.
Sandra Cesario, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN
Professor & PhD Program Director
College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Joseph Nates, MBA, MD
Professor, Deputy Chair, Director ICUs
University of Texas MD Anderson Center
Bellaire, Texas, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Title: Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in oncology patients: Case-control design- Pilot study
INTRODUCTION/HYPOTHESIS: The impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer has not been fully understood. The purpose of the study is to understand the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of oncology patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Methods: The study is conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center using the data of cancer patients hospitalized during the six-month period from March 1st, 2020 to August 31st, 2020. A retrospective chart review was done using a representative sample of 42 patients from the proposed main study. In this individually matched case-control study, each patient tested positive for COVID-19 (case) was matched in the ratio of 1:1 for age, sex, and current cancer diagnosis with a control patient tested negative for COVID-19. Bivariate analysis was conducted to explore the potential significant characteristics that are associated with the diagnosis of COVID-19.
Results: Higher body mass index (33.5 for cases; 29.1 for controls; p =0.47) significantly associated with the diagnosis of COVID-19. History of fever (66.7% for cases; 28.6% for controls; p=.029), cough (66.7% for cases; 0% for controls; p < .001) and fatigue (38.1% for cases; 4.8% for controls; p=.020) at the time of admission and development of acute lung injury during the hospitalization (57.1% for cases; 4.8% for controls; p < .001) were the clinical characteristics associated with COVID-19 diagnosis. There was no significant difference between the cases and controls in the length of hospital stay (10.0 days for cases; 7.14 days for controls; p=.254), death during hospitalization (4.8% for cases; 9.5% for controls; p=.999), death within 30 days of discharge (9.5% for cases; 19.0% for controls; p=.663), or readmission within 30 days of discharge (71.4% for cases; 90.5% for controls; p=.238).
Conclusions: This pilot study validates the feasibility of the study in terms of subject eligibility, matching procedure, data collection, and analysis. The study also suggests that the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of oncology patients hospitalized with COVID-19 do not follow the typical pattern seen in the general population. Therefore, dedicated studies focusing on the oncology population are necessary to understand the clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with cancer.