Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, mesothelioma patients and their families have wanted to know how vulnerable they are to this novel virus. Over the course of the last year and a half, several studies looked into Covid-19 outcomes in patients with other cancers, such as lung, but until now none of those studies discussed mesothelioma patients specifically.
Today, during the World Lung 2021 conference organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), a study from Spain shed some light on this question.
The study was conducted by Dr. Susana Cedres of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and the Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Cedres analyzed the records of 38 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma tracked through the TERAVOLT registry.
Of those 38 patients, seven became infected with SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by a positive PCR test (as opposed to a rapid antigen test). Of those seven, two were undergoing active treatment (chemotherapy for one, and radiation therapy for the other). Six patients (out of seven) required hospitalization during which they were all treated with supplemental oxygen. Four patients developed bilateral pneumonia and four ultimately died as a direct result of Covid-19 (one additional patient died from causes unrelated to Covid-19).
“I think that we need to be careful when interpreting small studies such as this one, but the signals from this study taken in aggregate with similar studies in lung cancer do indicate that patients with malignancies affecting the lungs are at considerably more risk for complications from Covid-19 than the general population,” said Mary Hesdorffer, Nurse Practitioner, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
“The question now becomes how to mitigate that risk – vaccinations are certainly one tool available to patients right now, and a study in lung cancer, which was also released at today’s World Lung conference, is giving the indication that immunocompromised patients should be receiving third doses of the vaccine,” she added.
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The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to eradicate mesothelioma and end this national tragedy. Its programs include the funding of promising and peer-reviewed research, education, support, and advocacy. The organization brings together thought leaders in the field to identify the most direct path to a cure.
