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Review
. 2020 Nov 5;12(11):3266.
doi: 10.3390/cancers12113266.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cancer Patients: Effects on Disease Outcomes and Patient Prognosis

Gaurav Seth  1 , Saira Sethi  2 , Shristi Bhattarai  1 , Geetanjali Saini  1 , Chandra Bhushan Singh  3 , Ritu Aneja  1
Affiliations
Review

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cancer Patients: Effects on Disease Outcomes and Patient Prognosis

Gaurav Seth et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and outcomes vary immensely among patients. Predicting disease progression and managing disease symptoms is even more challenging in cancer patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, often suppress the immune system, rendering cancer patients more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe complications. However, data on the effects of immunosuppression on COVID-19 outcomes in cancer patients remain limited. Further investigations are warranted to better understand the implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients, particularly those that are immunocompromised. In this review, we outline the current knowledge of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cancer prognosis; immunosuppression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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