key: cord-0971634-jxha3rz8
authors: Giacomo, Di; Gambale, E.; Monterisi, S.; Valente, M.; Maio, M.
title: SARS-COV-2 infection in cancer patients undergoing checkpoint blockade: clinical course and outcome
date: 2020-05-03
journal: Eur J Cancer
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.04.026
sha: f5ebffdc04aa73deadda401d16091bacd5412050
doc_id: 971634
cord_uid: jxha3rz8

nan

The potential interplay between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) of cancer patients is presently unknown. 1 In this context, the increasing spreading of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic does not help; in fact, major health resources are being redirected to counteract the pandemic 2 , raising the concrete risk to hamper cancer care significantly 3 .

As a result, the COVID-19 status of cancer patients is generally not evaluated at the beginning and/or in the course of their medical treatment. Additionally, the vast majority of cancer patients receive therapy on an out-patients basis; thus, asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients are generally free to access the Oncology Units, representing a major Figure 1 ). Two subsequent swabs tested negative on April 3 and 4 for SARS-CoV-2 infection ( Figure 1) ; thus, the patient was considered cured from COVID-19 and she will resume ICI-therapy shortly.

These two cases are representative of potential clinical scenarios with whom oncologists can be faced in their daily practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Undoubtedly, no general conclusion can be drawn from the positive outcome of these two patients on the reciprocal interplay between ICI therapy and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Nevertheless, these findings seem to suggest that treatment with ICI is a doable approach during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that SARS-CoV-2 infection does not seem to represent an obstacle to grant cancer patients the best treatment according to their clinical setting. 

Challenges in lung cancer therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19

Managing cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic: agility and collaboration toward a common goal

A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study

Figure 1. COVID-19 assessments and bio-humoral parameters of treated patients

SARS-CoV-2 infection was assessed by real-time-reverse-transcriptase-polymerasechain-reaction (rRT-PCR) testing positive (★) or negative (✪). Reference laboratory values for Patient 1*(C-reactive protein

Figure 1. COVID-19 assessments and bio-humoral parameters of treated patients

SARS-CoV-2 infection was assessed by real-time-reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chainreaction (rRT-PCR) testing positive (★) or negative (✪). Reference laboratory values for Patient 1*(C-reactive protein