Study seeks to better understand how COVID-19 and cancer intersect

Researchers at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have entered a national study to look at the long-term outcomes of COVID-19-diagnosed cancer patients.

The study, led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and which involves the involvement of cancer centers across the country, hopes to answer urgent questions about how the two diseases will be treated. including the frequency of detection of COVID-19 in people with cancer, how COVID-19 affects cancer treatments and whether the risk of COVID-19 serious illness higher in some cancer subtypes.

Although evidence suggests that people receiving cancer treatment are more likely to develop a more severe form of COVID-19, little is known about the possible factors. making certain patients more susceptible to COVID-19 infection or how the disease affects cancer outcomes after a patient has recovered.

According to David Cachia, MD, neuro-oncologist at Hollings and lead investigator for the Hollings portion of the study, the data collected will help providers make more informed decisions about cancer care for these patients. in the future.

“This is an area that is changing rapidly, and not just when it comes to cancer patients. But specifically, in this population, we have limited data,” Cachia said. “The only way we can better manage these patients is to find out if we need to make changes to our current protocols if we collect this information and understand it better.”

The study, called NCI COVID-19 in Cancer Patient Study (NCCAPS), is a natural history study, meaning it does not involve any specific treatment modalities and is based on observation. Researchers will simply collect medical records, scans and blood samples and ask participants questions about their symptoms, which will then take up to two years to analyze their results over time.

Patients can be registered and seen via telemedicine to reduce the risks associated with traveling to and from Hollings, and blood will be collected during withdrawals that have already been registered as part of their cancer care to reduce the burden. .

The study records patients of all ages, including children, across all cancer subtypes. To be eligible, adult participants must have a COVID-19 positive test within 14 days of enrollment and must be receiving treatment for the cancer, whether that be chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and / or radiation.

Other questions the study hopes will help include:

• Does COVID-19 affect how cancer grows or spreads?
• Does cancer treatment affect a person ‘s ability to fight COVID – 19?
• Are genetic or immune biomarkers associated with actual symptoms or death from COVID-19?
• Is there a delay in cancer treatment when patients are diagnosed with COVID-19, and if so, how do these delays affect outcomes?

The goal nationwide is to record 2,000 patients from diverse backgrounds based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, diagnosis and location so that they can make the results more common to all cancer patients. That’s one of the benefits of collaborating with the NCI and a wide range of health centers, Cachia said.

“We realized many years ago that doing things on your own is not going to gather as much information as possible,” said Cachia. “By collaborating and communicating with other institutions. it will allow us to gather more information more quickly, allowing us to make decisions much more quickly and efficiently than any other institution would do on its own. “

Outside of the NCCAPS study, Hollings is also participating in the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19), which is an international project designed to collect and disseminate data on people with diagnosed cancer. confirmed by COVID-19 as soon as possible. Initial data released through the consortium research on May 28 showed a higher risk of disease among cancer patients compared to the general population and revealed specific cancer factors associated with higher mortality.

As researchers gather more information on how best to treat people with cancer and COVID-19, Cachia recommends that cancer patients who receive a positive COVID-19 test result consult with the their oncologist to determine the next steps depending on their type of treatment and the severity of their disease. It also recommends that patients reach out to their oncologist once they are notified that they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine to determine whether they should proceed with the vaccine and to find out the best time to get it in terms of the oncological treatment.

As none of the vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) currently authorized for use in the US have been tested in patients receiving cancer treatment, it is important to discuss the benefits and risks of vaccines. to make an informed decision.

Vaccines secondarily, Cachia encourages cancer patients to follow the general safety guidelines issued for the rest of the population, including social distance, hand hygiene, wear a mask and avoid large gatherings. These measures are especially important for cancer patients, who are more prone to infections in general.

“Avoiding infection with COVID-19 is something that is on everyone’s mind, especially with the introduction of vaccines that will hopefully change the landscape in the coming months as we can vaccinating more people, “said Cachia.” The recommendations are the same for everyone, but cancer patients need to be especially careful about trying to reduce the risk of infection as much as possible. “

###

This research is supported by the NCI (grant UG1CA189848).

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the only unified academic health science center at the state at an unparalleled cost to serve the state through education. , research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains over 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Postgraduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state leader in receiving biochemical research funding, in fiscal year 2019, MUSC set a new high, totaling more than $ 284 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the clinical health system of South Carolina Medical University, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available, while training generations of capable, compassionate health care providers to provide to the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising approximately 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, MUSC College of Medicine, physician use plan, and nearly 275 telehealth spaces, MUSC Health has eight hospitals in Charleston, Chester counties , Florence, Lancaster and Marion. In 2019, for the fifth year in a row, US News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have annual budgets of $ 3.2 billion. More than 17,000 members of the MUSC team include world-class faculty, physicians, specialist providers and scientists who deliver innovative education, research, technology and patient care.

The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is a designated cancer center by the National Cancer Institute and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center is made up of more than 100 faculty cancer scientists and 20 academic departments. It has an annual research funding package of more than $ 44 million and a commitment to reduce the burden of cancer in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, treatments and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathology, psychologists and other qualified specialists. for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit hollingscancercenter.musc.edu.