Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients With Lung Cancer: Experience From a Thoracic Oncology Center

David Barros Coelho; Vanessa Santos; David Araújo; Hélder Novais Bastos; Adriana Magalhães; Venceslau Hespanhol; Henrique Queiroga; Natália Cruz-Martins; Maria Gabriela O Fernandes

doi:10.3389/fmolb.2021.639676

Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients With Lung Cancer: Experience From a Thoracic Oncology Center

Front Mol Biosci. 2021 Jul 22:8:639676. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.639676. eCollection 2021.

Authors

David Barros Coelho^{1

2}, Vanessa Santos¹, David Araújo¹, Hélder Novais Bastos^{1

2

3}, Adriana Magalhães¹, Venceslau Hespanhol^{1

2

3}, Henrique Queiroga^{1

2}, Natália Cruz-Martins^{2

3

4}, Maria Gabriela O Fernandes^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Pulmonology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Porto, Portugal.
² Faculdade de Medicina, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
³ Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
⁴ Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

Background: Cancer patients appear to be at a higher risk of complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Specific data related to lung cancer (LC) patient management, active treatment, and/or recent diagnosis are still very limited. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical presentation, baseline features, and clinical outcomes of LC patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective case study was performed at Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São Joao, a tertiary hospital in the North of Portugal. Data from LC patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were collected during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-January 2021).

Results: Twenty-eight patients with active LC were diagnosed with COVID-19, being adenocarcinoma the most common histological type present (n = 13, 46.4%). Sixteen patients had metastatic stage IV LC (61.5%). Twenty-five patients (89.3%) had relevant comorbidities including hypertension (39.3%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (32.1%). For patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment, the median time from the last chemotherapy administration to COVID-19 diagnosis was of 16 days (interquartile range = 13-41 days). Half of patients were previously on corticosteroid therapy. Twenty patients (71.4%) needed hospitalization, 18 received oxygen therapy (64.3%), 3 (10.7%) of them received high-flow nasal cannula with good tolerability, and 1 (3.6%) needed non-invasive ventilation. Hydroxychloroquine and antibiotics were given to 4 (14.3%) and 12 (42.9%) patients, respectively. Seven patients (25%) died at a median time of 5 days following COVID-19 diagnosis.

Conclusion: This is one of the first studies reporting the adverse outcomes associated with COVID-19 in LC patients at same time that adds evidence regarding the need to create protocols and guidelines to reduce the infection risk in such patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; clinical management; infection; lung cancer; thoracic oncology.