In a global registry of 428 thoracic cancer patients infected with COVID-19, 169 patients have recovered, 119 are still infected with COVID-19, but 141 have died.
Prof. Leora Horn (Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, USA) presented the results of the Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration (TERAVOLT) registry [1]. “Patients with thoracic malignancies are considered high-risk given their age, pre-existing comorbidities, smoking, and pre-existing lung damage in addition to therapies administered to treat their illness. We launched a global consortium to collect data on patients with thoracic malignancies diagnosed with COVID-19 infection to understand the impact on this patient population,” she said.
The median age of recovered patients was 63.3; this age was a year older for those still being treated. Median age of patients with fatal cases was 70.2. Most patients were male. Patients had ECOG performance status of 0-1. Non-small cell lung cancer was the predominant subtype; 60-75% of patients had stage IV disease.
A total of 141 patients in the 428-patient registry have died (33%), suggesting considerable mortality risk. The cause of death in this cohort was mainly determined to be due to COVID-19 (79.4%), although 10.6% was ascribed to progressive cancer, and 8.5% to the combination of cancer and COVID-19. Of those who died, 5% had been on a ventilator. Alarmingly, 78% of patients with the combination of COVID-19 and thoracic cancer were admitted to the hospital.
.Data collection is ongoing, but 1 publication has already been published from this registry, published in Cancer Cell [2].
References
- Horn L, et al. Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration (TERAVOLT): Impact of type of cancer therapy and COVID therapy on survival. ASCO Virtual Meeting, 29-31 May 2020, Abstract LBA111.
- Whisenant JG, et al. TERAVOLT: Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 16]. Cancer Cell. 2020;10.1016/j.ccell.2020.05.008.
