Abstract S12-03: Clinical and demographic characteristics associated with shorter time to COVID-19 death

Introduction: Cancer patients have been considered a high-risk population in the COVID-19 pandemic. We previously investigated risk of COVID-19 death in COVID-19 positive cancer patients during a median follow-up of 134 days, and identified the following risk factors: male sex, age >60 years, Asian ethnicity, hematological cancer type, cancer diagnosis for >2.5 years, patients presenting with fever or dyspnea, and high levels of ferritin and C-reactive protein (CRP). Here, we further investigate which factors are associated with a COVID-19 related death within 7 days of diagnosis. Methods: Using data from Guy’s Cancer Centre and one of its partner trusts (King’s College Hospital), we included 306 cancer patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (February 29^th-July 31^st 2020). 72 patients had a COVID-19 related death (24%) of whom 35 died within 7 days (50%). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify which factors were associated with a COVID-19 related death <7 days of diagnosis. Results: Of the 72 cancer patients who had a COVID-19 related death, the mean age was 72 years (Standard Deviation (SD) 14). A total of 53 (74%) patients were men. 37 (52%) had a hematological cancer type, 47 (65%) had stage IV cancer, and 42 (58%) had been diagnosed with cancer more than 24 months before COVID-19 related death. In the group of patients who died within 7 days of diagnosis (n= 35), mean age was 73 years (SD 13.96), 24 (68%) were men, 20 (57%) had a hematological cancer type, 26 (74%) had stage IV cancer, and 24 (68%) had been diagnosed with cancer >24 months before COVID-19 diagnosis. Factors associated with COVID-19 related death <7 days of diagnosis were: hematological cancer (Hazard Ratio (HR): 2.74 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.21-6.22)), 2-5 yrs since cancer diagnosis (HR: 4.81 (95%CI: 1.47-15.69)), and >5 yrs since cancer diagnosis (HR: 4.41 (95%CI: 1.38-14.06)). Additionally, patients who presented with dyspnea had increased risk of COVID-19 related death <7 days compared to asymptomatic patients (HR: 5.25 (95%CI 2.14-12.89)). CRP levels in the third tercile (146-528 mg/L) as compared to the first were also associated with increased risk of an early death due to COVID-19. Conclusion: From all the factors identified in our previous COVID-19 related death analysis, only hematological cancer type, a longer-established cancer diagnosis (2-5 years and more than 5 years), dyspnea at time of diagnosis and high levels of CRP were indicative of an early COVID-19 related death (within 7 days of diagnosis) in cancer patients.

Citation Format: Maria J. Monroy-Iglesias, Beth Russell, Charlotte Moss, Gincy George, Kieran Palmer, Sophie Papa, Sheeba Irshad, Paul Ross, James Spicer, Sharam Kordasti, Danielle Crawley, Harriet Wylie, Fidelma Cahill, Anna Haire, Rushan Sylva, Kamarul Zaki, Fareen Rahman, Ailsa Sita-Lumsden, Debra Josephs, Deborah Enting, Mary Lei, Sharmistha Ghosh, Claire Harrison, Angela Swampillai, Elinor Sawyer, Andrea D'Souza, Simon Gomberg, Paul Fields, David Wrench, Kavita Raj, Mary Gleeson, Kate Bailey, Richard Dillon, Matthew Streetly, Austin Kulasekararaj, Thinzar Ko Ko, Vallari Shah, Anne Rigg, Richard Sullivan, Mieke Van Hemelrijck, Saoirse Dolly. Clinical and demographic characteristics associated with shorter time to COVID-19 death [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2021 Feb 3-5. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(6_Suppl):Abstract nr S12-03.