Cancer News
Cancer not to blame for high death rates among patients with COVID-19
Higher risk of death likely due to advanced age and more preexisting conditions
Poor outcomes and higher death rates in cancer patients with COVID-19 could be due to their generally older age and greater number of underlying conditions , rather than the cancer itself .
A study conducted at Jena University Hospital in Germany analysed 435 patients with cancer and COVID-19 from a total of 3,071 patients enrolled between March and August .
Compared with the non-cancer patients , the distribution of age and comorbidity differed significantly in the cancer patients . The patients without cancer were found to be younger , mostly aged 56-65 , and had less comorbidity .
At 30 days , 70 percent of the cancer patients had survived , compared to 77 percent of those without cancer , while the mortality rate was higher , at 23 percent compared to 14 percent . However , it was significant that survival and mortality attributed to COVID-19 were comparable to those in non-cancer patients .
“ Even though survival and Covid-19 mortality of both groups appeared to be comparable , after adjusting for age , sex , and comorbidity , our results show that cancer patients are at higher risk of more serious disease and death due to being generally older than non-cancer patients with Covid-19 , and also having more underlying conditions . It does not appear to be the cancer itself that is leading to these poor outcomes ,” said Dr Maria Rüthrich , who led the research , in a press release .
Cancer breath test shows promise
Researchers now hope to continue trials in the family doctor ’ s office
Australian researchers have taken a giant leap forward in the global quest for a rapid , inexpensive , and accurate early-stage screening test for cancer using breath analysis .
A team from Flinders University have reported significant progress in developing a method to test exhaled breath profiles that can accurately detect head and neck cancer .
Breath samples were collected from 181 patients suspected of having early-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma before any treatment began .
“ We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of breath analysis as a non-invasive test for detecting head and neck cancer , which in time may result in a simple method to improve treatment outcomes and patient morbidity ,” said lead researcher Dr Roger Yazbek in a press release .
Worldwide , head and neck cancer accounts for six percent of all cancers , killing more than 300,000 people per year . Tobacco , alcohol , and poor oral hygiene are major risk factors for this cancer .
A surge in human papilloma virus-associated head and neck cancers is also causing these cancers to affect a much younger population .
Current therapies are effective at treating early-stage disease . However , late-stage presentations are now common and often associated with poor prognosis and high treatment-related morbidity .
In the Australian study , a selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometer was used to analyse breath for volatile organic compounds . Using statistical modelling , the Flinders researchers were able to develop a breath test that could differentiate between cancer and control patients , with an average sensitivity and specificity of 85 percent . Diagnosis was confirmed by analysis of tissue biopsies .
“ With these strong results , we hope to trial the method in primary care settings such as GPs ’ surgeries ( offices ) to further develop its use in early-stage screening in the community ,” said co-lead author Dr Nuwan Dharmawardana .
32 NOVEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com