Newswise — In a groundbreaking study, cancer patients experienced a significant decline in Covid-related hospitalizations and mortality rates subsequent to the introduction of vaccines. The research, which is the first of its kind, was recently published in Scientific Reports on Tuesday, 25th July. The study spanned a 21-month period, from November 2020 to August 2022, investigating the impact of the global pandemic on cancer patient outcomes.
The team of researchers, led by the University of Birmingham, made remarkable findings. Hospitalizations during this period decreased from approximately one in three patients (30.58%) to only one in thirteen patients (7.45%). Furthermore, case-mortality rates plummeted from over one in five patients (20.53%) to less than one in thirty patients (3.25%).
Interestingly, the study also revealed that age emerged as a more significant predictor of mortality rates compared to the type of cancer a patient had. In 2022, patients over the age of 80 exhibited a case-mortality rate of over one in ten (10.32%), while patients under 80 years old had a significantly lower rate of less than one in thirty-five (2.83%).
These findings highlight the positive impact of vaccine rollout on the outcomes of cancer patients during the pandemic, with a substantial reduction in hospitalizations and mortality rates across the observed period.
The study revealed that, compared to the general population, Covid-19 infections had a substantially more severe impact on cancer patients. Specifically, cancer patients were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized (2.1 times as likely) and faced a tragic 2.54 times higher risk of mortality by the end of the study period.
Dr. Lennard Lee, the lead author of the study and affiliated with the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University of Birmingham, emphasized the concerns of cancer patients who feared being overlooked during the pandemic. He pointed out that the UK is progressing towards recovery from the global pandemic, but it is crucial to remember those still at the highest risk of Covid-19 consequences to ensure they are not left behind.
While the data indeed brought positive news for cancer patients, indicating significant declines in hospitalizations and mortality rates over the observed period, the study underscored that an additional risk still remains. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing vigilance and targeted measures to protect vulnerable individuals with cancer from the potential impact of Covid-19 infections.
According to Thomas Starkey, a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham and the study's first author, the use of electronic healthcare data played a crucial role in evaluating the real-world impact of the global pandemic on the UK population. Through population-scale data analysis, they could effectively protect individuals living with cancer from infectious diseases like COVID-19.
The study relied on data from the UKCCP, an enduring pandemic response initiative in the United Kingdom. The primary objective of the UKCCP is to safeguard, assess, and provide protection to cancer patients (www.ukcovidcancerprogramme.org).
This research project focused on a population-based analysis of COVID-19 outcomes in patients with cancer, covering the study period from 1st November 2020 to 31st August 2022. Its main purpose was to characterize the disease phenotype within the highest clinical risk groups to gain valuable insights for better management and protection.
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