Purpose: Data are extremely limited with regards to the impact of
COVID-19 on
cancer patients. Our study explored the distinct clinical features of
COVID-19 patients with
cancer. Experimental Design: 189
COVID-19 patients, including 16
cancer patients and 173 patients without
cancer, were recruited. Propensity score 1:4 matching (PSM) was performed between
cancer patients and patients without
cancer based on age, gender and comorbidities. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the difference was compared by the log-rank test. Results: PSM analysis yielded 16
cancer patients and 64 propensity score-matched patients without
cancer. Compared to patients without
cancer,
cancer patients tended to have
leukopenia and elevated
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (
hs-CRP) and
procalcitonin. For those with critical
COVID-19,
cancer patients had an inferior survival than those without
cancer. Also,
cancer patients with severe/critical
COVID-19 tended to be male and present with low SPO2 and
albumin, and high
hs-CRP,
lactate dehydrogenase and blood
urea nitrogen on admission compared to those with mild
COVID-19. In terms of risk factors, recent
cancer diagnosis (within 1 year of onset of
COVID-19) and anti-
tumor treatment within 3 months of
COVID-19 diagnosis were associated with inferior survival. Conclusions: We found
COVID-19 patients with
cancer have distinct clinical features as compared to patients without
cancer. Importantly,
cancer patients with critical
COVID-19 were found to have poorer outcomes compared to those without
cancer. In the
cancer cohort, patients with severe/critical
COVID-19 presented with a distinct clinical profile from those with mild
COVID-19; short
cancer history and recent anti-
cancer treatment were associated with inferior survival.