Important updates from the AACR virtual meeting: COVID-19 and cancer

Jacob Ripp; Anup Kasi

doi:10.2144/fsoa-2020-0132

Important updates from the AACR virtual meeting: COVID-19 and cancer

Future Sci OA. 2020 Sep 18;6(9):FSO630. doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0132.

Authors

Jacob Ripp¹, Anup Kasi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
² Division of Medical Oncology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Westwood, KS 66205, USA.

Abstract

In this article, we present the pivotal abstracts presented at the 'AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer' held in July 2020. Much is unknown regarding the effect of COVID-19 on cancer patients, and this conference presented important updates in therapeutics and epidemiology. Specifically, cancer therapeutics have been hypothesized to treat cytokine release syndrome in patients with COVID-19, and the JAK1/2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib, is currently being used in a Phase III trial to assess its efficacy. Additionally, similar to other studies, morbidity and mortality in patients with COVID-19 and cancer appear to be worse in older patients and in males. We also present various COVID-19 data related to breast cancer, lung cancer, hematologic malignancies, melanoma and prostate cancer.

Keywords: COVID-19; cancer; cytokine release syndrome; oncology; vaccine.