Clinical and imaging characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Malignancy is a known risk factor of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severe involvement. Information about this infection in patients with cancer is limited. Objectives: This study aimed at reporting the clinical and imaging characteristics of COVID-19 infection in patients with cancer. Methods: All the patients were known cases of a solid tumor with COVID-19 infection in one center, between February and May 2020. Clinical presentation and imaging involvement of COVID-19 infection in addition to cancer features were documented from medical records/patient interviews. Results: Thirty-one patients with solid tumors and COVID-19 involvement were included. The most prevalet presentation was fever, cough, and myalgia. Breast and gastrointestinal malignancies were the most common cancer types. The mortality rate was 22.5% and all deceased patients suffered from stage 4 of their underlying cancer disease. Lung computed tomography scan (CT scan) features in these patients were not different from the non-cancer patients with COVID-19. Conclusions: COVID-19 involvement in patients with cancer seems to be more severe with higher mortality rates especially in patients with other comorbidity and in metastatic cases. Treatment modifications during the pandemic era sound to be logical in decreasing the infection rate.