open access

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)
Original article
Published online: 2021-04-16
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COVID-19 infection in cancer patients: the effect of Hepatitis B immunization

Zeynep Oruç1, Senar Ebinç1, Ziya Kalkan1, Muhammet Ali Kaplan1, Mehmet Küçüköner1, Zuhat Urakçı1, İdris Oruç2, Abdurrahman Işıkdoğan1
·
Medical Research Journal 2021;6(2):86-93.
Affiliations
  1. Dicle University,Faculty of Medicine,Department of Medical Oncology, Billstreet.SUR, 21280 Diyarbakır, Türkiye
  2. Dicle University,Faculty of Medicine,Department of Nephrology, Billstreet.SUR, 21280 Diyarbakır, Türkiye

open access

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Published online: 2021-04-16

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with COVID-19 infections and evaluate the effect of hepatitis B immunization status on susceptibility to COVID-19 infection and mortality risk. Materials and methods: The records of 1,515 patients who presented to the Medical Oncology clinic between March 2020 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of cancer patients with (case group) and without (control group) COVID-19 infection were compared. Results: Of the 1,515 patients, 153 (10.1%) had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the median age of cancer patients with COVID-19 infection was 53.9 (range; 18–82) years. The most common types of cancer were breast cancer (26.2%), gastrointestinal system cancers (22.3%), genitourinary-system cancers (16.5%) and lung cancer (15.5%). The presence of metastatic disease [hazard ratio (HR): 0.09, 95% CI (0.01–0.83), (p = 0.03)] and receipt of palliative chemotherapy in the cancer patients with COVID-19 infections [HR: 0.1, 95% CI (0.01–0.69), (p = 0.02)] were identified as prognostic factors in multivariate analysis as univariate analysis did not indicate palliative treatment as a prognostic factor. When the case group and control groups were compared in terms of hepatitis B immunization status (p = 0.24), no statistically significant difference was identified between the two groups. Furthermore, hepatitis B immunization status (p = 0.37) were not found to be associated with COVID-19-related mortality risk. Conclusion: Hepatitis B immunization status were not associated with the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mortality. The present study identified the presence of metastatic disease and palliative chemotherapy as negative and positive prognostic factors, respectively.

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with COVID-19 infections and evaluate the effect of hepatitis B immunization status on susceptibility to COVID-19 infection and mortality risk. Materials and methods: The records of 1,515 patients who presented to the Medical Oncology clinic between March 2020 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of cancer patients with (case group) and without (control group) COVID-19 infection were compared. Results: Of the 1,515 patients, 153 (10.1%) had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the median age of cancer patients with COVID-19 infection was 53.9 (range; 18–82) years. The most common types of cancer were breast cancer (26.2%), gastrointestinal system cancers (22.3%), genitourinary-system cancers (16.5%) and lung cancer (15.5%). The presence of metastatic disease [hazard ratio (HR): 0.09, 95% CI (0.01–0.83), (p = 0.03)] and receipt of palliative chemotherapy in the cancer patients with COVID-19 infections [HR: 0.1, 95% CI (0.01–0.69), (p = 0.02)] were identified as prognostic factors in multivariate analysis as univariate analysis did not indicate palliative treatment as a prognostic factor. When the case group and control groups were compared in terms of hepatitis B immunization status (p = 0.24), no statistically significant difference was identified between the two groups. Furthermore, hepatitis B immunization status (p = 0.37) were not found to be associated with COVID-19-related mortality risk. Conclusion: Hepatitis B immunization status were not associated with the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mortality. The present study identified the presence of metastatic disease and palliative chemotherapy as negative and positive prognostic factors, respectively.

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Keywords

COVID-19 infection, hepatitis B, mortality, immunization

About this article
Title

COVID-19 infection in cancer patients: the effect of Hepatitis B immunization

Journal

Medical Research Journal

Issue

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)

Article type

Original article

Pages

86-93

Published online

2021-04-16

Page views

709

Article views/downloads

600

DOI

10.5603/MRJ.a2021.0018

Bibliographic record

Medical Research Journal 2021;6(2):86-93.

Keywords

COVID-19 infection
hepatitis B
mortality
immunization

Authors

Zeynep Oruç
Senar Ebinç
Ziya Kalkan
Muhammet Ali Kaplan
Mehmet Küçüköner
Zuhat Urakçı
İdris Oruç
Abdurrahman Işıkdoğan

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