COVID-19 infection in adult patients with hematological malignancies: a European Hematology Association Survey (EPICOVIDEHA)

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Institut Català de la Salut

[Pagano L] Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli - IRCCS – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. [Salmanton-García J] Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Cologne Excellence Cluster On Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. [Marchesi F] Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. [Busca A] Stem Cell Transplant Center, AOU Citta’ Della Salute E Della Scienza, Turin, Italy. [Corradini P] University of Milan and Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. [Hoenigl M] Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. Clinical and Translational Fungal Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. [Cabirta A, Izuzquiza M] Servei d’Hematologia, Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain. Experimental Hematology, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain. Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus

Publication date

2022-05-12T08:29:07Z

2022-05-12T08:29:07Z

2021-10-14



Abstract

COVID-19; Epidemiology; Hematological malignancies


COVID-19; Epidemiologia; Neoplàsies hematològiques malignes


COVID-19; Epidemiología; Neoplasias hematológicas malignas


Background Patients with hematological malignancies (HM) are at high risk of mortality from SARS-CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19). A better understanding of risk factors for adverse outcomes may improve clinical management in these patients. We therefore studied baseline characteristics of HM patients developing COVID-19 and analyzed predictors of mortality. Methods The survey was supported by the Scientific Working Group Infection in Hematology of the European Hematology Association (EHA). Eligible for the analysis were adult patients with HM and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 observed between March and December 2020 Results The study sample includes 3801 cases, represented by lymphoproliferative (mainly non-Hodgkin lymphoma n = 1084, myeloma n = 684 and chronic lymphoid leukemia n = 474) and myeloproliferative malignancies (mainly acute myeloid leukemia n = 497 and myelodysplastic syndromes n = 279). Severe/critical COVID-19 was observed in 63.8% of patients (n = 2425). Overall, 2778 (73.1%) of the patients were hospitalized, 689 (18.1%) of whom were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). Overall, 1185 patients (31.2%) died. The primary cause of death was COVID-19 in 688 patients (58.1%), HM in 173 patients (14.6%), and a combination of both COVID-19 and progressing HM in 155 patients (13.1%). Highest mortality was observed in acute myeloid leukemia (199/497, 40%) and myelodysplastic syndromes (118/279, 42.3%). The mortality rate significantly decreased between the first COVID-19 wave (March–May 2020) and the second wave (October–December 2020) (581/1427, 40.7% vs. 439/1773, 24.8%, p value < 0.0001). In the multivariable analysis, age, active malignancy, chronic cardiac disease, liver disease, renal impairment, smoking history, and ICU stay correlated with mortality. Acute myeloid leukemia was a higher mortality risk than lymphoproliferative diseases. Conclusions This survey confirms that COVID-19 patients with HM are at high risk of lethal complications. However, improved COVID-19 prevention has reduced mortality despite an increase in the number of reported cases.


EPICOVIDEHA has received funds from Optics COMMITTM (COVID-19 Unmet Medical Needs and Associated Research Extension) COVID-19 RFP program by GILEAD Science, United States (Project 2020-8223).

Document Type

Article


Published version

Language

English

Publisher

BMC

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Attribution 4.0 International

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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