Efficacy and prognostic factors of COVID-19 vaccine in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: Analysis of data from a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: The efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clear. Methods: From January 2022 to October 2022, patients diagnosed with HCC in a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort were analyzed. Results: One hundred and forty-one patients with (n = 107) or without COVID-19 vaccination (n = 34) were included. The number of patients with severe or very severe infection was relatively lower in the vaccinated group (3.7% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.096). Median infection-free survival in the vaccinated group (14.0 vs. 8.3 months, p = 0.010) was significantly longer than that in the unvaccinated group. COVID-19 vaccination (hazard ratio (HR) HR = 0.47), European Cooperative Oncology Group performance score = 0 (HR = 2.06), and extrahepatic spread (HR = 0.28) were found to be the independent predictive factors for infection-free survival. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccines could effectively reduce the SARS-Cov-2 infection in patients with HCC.