Research from New York shows that cancer patients have higher death rates from Covid-19 but it varies by type with lung cancer or blood cancer faring far worse.
In a study (1) from the Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein Medical Center in the Bronx in New York, probably the worst hit area in America for Covid-19, the researchers identified 218 Covid patients with cancer. Three quarters had solid tumours. Although most were not currently on cancer treatment, 28% died overall – 25% with a solid tumour; 37% with a blood cancer.
Patients with Pancreatic cancer (67%), lung cancer (55%), colorectal cancer (38%) and gynecological cancers (38%) had death rates that were higher than usual. However, prostate (20%) and breast cancer (14%) were lower than usual.
Clearly people with cancer are at a higher risk. All the statistics for Covid-19 point to 98.8 % of deaths with the European strain coming in the over 60 age group and in people with pre-existing illnesses – by far the majority being in those with Metabolic Syndrome. 80% of people diagnosed with cancer also have severe deficiency in vitamin D.
Go to: Metabolic Syndrome
Neither current Chemotherapy, nor Radiotherapy were linked with higher death rates.
The study was published May 1 st in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
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Reference
- https://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2020/04/29/2159-8290.CD-20-0516