Gaceta Mexicana de Oncología (Jul 2022)

Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and cancer: A literature review

  • Christian O. Ramos-Peñafiel,
  • Erika A. Rosas-González,
  • Irma Olarte-Carrillo,
  • Mónica P. Bejarano-Rosales,
  • Karolina Álvarez-Altamirano,
  • Vanessa Fuchs-Tarlovsky,
  • Carlos Martínez-Murillo,
  • Adrián Santoyo-Sánchez,
  • Adolfo Martínez-Tovar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.24875/j.gamo.22000179
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 3

Abstract

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Cancer is a significant cause of death worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is spreading rapidly globally. Information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its complications in cancer patients are still limited. It is relevant to consider that some chemotherapeutic agents have secondary immunosuppressive effects. Approximately 35% of hematologic cancer patients develop pneumonia caused by community respiratory viruses. People older than 65 years-old or with severe neutropenia or lymphopenia are at higher risk. Cancer patients with pneumonia infected by parainfluenza virus showed a higher risk of mortality compared to non-cancer patients (p < 0.05; 12.3% vs. 3.8%) or coronavirus infections (p < 0.01; 24% vs. 30%). Complications associated with SARS-COV2 infection in cancer patients are limited to descriptive studies, with those who received myeloablative, immunosuppressive or monoclonal antibody therapies being more susceptible.

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