Cancer patients who have compromised immune systems due to their disease or therapy remain at high risk for COVID-19 infection.
It is why this population was one of the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a new study from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, researchers found those considered immunocompromised do benefit from COVID-19 vaccination.
They followed 515 patients with varying cancers. The goal was to evaluate if patients had an immune response to the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine and if that response differed by diagnosis and treatment.
Patients provided blood samples before their first and second doses of the vaccine and again one month later. Each sample was tested for COVID-19 antibodies.
For comparison, antibody levels were measured for 18 healthy adults receiving the mRNA-1273 vaccine.
The team showed that most cancer patients had seroconverted, meaning they developed antibodies after receiving the vaccine. Overall, 71.3% of patients seroconverted after the first dose, 90.3% after the second.
There were, however, differences among cancer types. Patients with blood cancers had lower seroconversion rates when compared to those with solid tumors, 84.7% versus 98.1%.
Blood cancer patients with lymphoid disease, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, had the lowest seroconversion rates.
And patients with those diseases who were on active treatment fared even worse.
The team says certain treatments also had an impact on seroconversion. Patients who received anti-CD20 antibodies within six months of vaccination had no immune response.
And those treated with BTK inhibitors, Venetoclax and CD19 targeted CAR T-cell therapy had the lowest seroconversion rates.
The researchers are continuing to follow study participants, taking blood samples at six, 12 and 24 months.
If you care about Covid, please read studies about the cause of inflammation and clotting in severe COVID-19, and findings of vitamin D deficiency linked to severe COVID-19 and death.
For more information about Covid, please see recent studies about 4 new COVID variants in New York City wastewater, and results showing previous COVID-19 infection, but not vaccination, improves antibodies.
The study is published in JAMA Oncology and was conducted by by Drs. Anna R. Giuliano et al.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
