WHAT HAVE WE EXPERIENCED WITH COVID-19 IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS?

Abstract

Objective: Patients with cancer are considered highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease. However, there are still few data in hematologic patients. Some small studies have shown a high mortality on patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19. In this study we aim to report a single center experience of the hematologic patient population with COVID-19 disease. Methodology: This single centre, retrospective, cohort study included a total of 111 adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic hematologic diseases between March 2020 and August 2021. Ethics committee approval was obtained from the Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Ethics Committee. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson's Chi-square test. STATA16-MP was used for the statistical analysis. Results: A total of 111 patients (median age:55) with hematologic disease were diagnosed with COVID19. Ninety patients had neoplastic hematologic disorder. Fourty-five patients were receiving anti-neoplastic treatment at the time of COVID19 diagnosis. A total of 21 patients (overall mortality rate:19%) died and 19 of them had neoplastic disorder. The malignancy mortality rate was estimated to be 21%. 45 of 90 cases were receiving chemotherapy. Ten of these 45 patients (22%) died due to COVID19 disease. Conclusion: In our study the majority of patients who died due to COVID-19 had hematological malignancies. The cytokine storm which affects the clinical outcome in COVID-19 may contribute to dismal prognosis in hematologic malignancies in which cytokine increase is a part of process. Most of the succumbed patients were relapsed refractory multiple line treated which may reflect the immune insufficiency. It seemed COVID-19 progress is mostly poor in hematologic malignancies compared otherwise healthy people.