Covid-19 In Patients With Cancer: A Retrospective Study Of 212 Cases From A French Sars-Cov-2 Cluster During The First Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic

We describe a large series of patients with solid tumors in an early COVID-19 cluster in the eastern part of France. From February to May 2020, this multicenter retrospective study enrolled 212 patients with cancer under treatment or on follow-up for any type of malignant solid tumor and positive for SARS-CoV-2. The mortality rate was 30%. Patients with gastrointestinal cancers were identified as a subset of more vulnerable patients; immunotherapy and radiotherapy within 3 months from COVID-19 diagnosis were risk factors for death. The reported data support the essential need to be proactive and weigh the risks of morbidity from COVID-19 against the magnitude of benefits of intended cancer therapies during this pandemic.