Outcome of Breast Cancer Patients with COVID-۱۹ Infection: A Report from a Tertiary Cancer Center in India

Introduction: There is no data on the outcome of COVID-۱۹ infection in patients with breast cancer from India. This study was done to assess the outcome of patients with breast cancer who had COVID-۱۹ infection.Methods: We analyzed patients with breast cancer who were diagnosed with COVID-۱۹ infection from May to September ۲۰۲۰ in the medical oncology department of a tertiary cancer center in India. Symptomatic patients (fever and influenza-like illness symptoms) or asymptomatic patients planned for systemic therapy were tested for COVID-۱۹ by RT-PCR.Results: A total of ۴۴۱ breast cancer patients received ۱۱۷۴ systemic therapies from May to September ۲۰۲۰. Among them, ۳۶ patients who had COVID-۱۹ infection were analyzed in detail. The majority (۸۶%) were asymptomatic at presentation. The most common symptoms were fever followed by cough. Patients were either admitted to the hospital (۵۳%) or kept in home quarantine (۴۷%). Patients who received oxygen, non-invasive assisted ventilation (NIV), and mechanical ventilation (MV) were ۸%, ۳%, and ۳%, respectively. The median duration of hospitalization and home quarantine was ۱۱ days and ۱۹ days, respectively. The recovery of patients with COVID-۱۹ infection was ۹۴%. The median duration to clearing SARS-COV-۲ by RT-PCR was ۱۹ days. The total/all-cause mortality was ۶% (n=۲). The mortality due to COVID-۱۹ infection was ۳% (n=۱). Subsequently, ۸۹% were restarted on systemic therapy. The median delay in restarting systemic therapy was ۲۳ days.Conclusion: Systemic therapy can be safely administered during the ongoing COVID-۱۹ pandemic.

Keywords:

Breast cancer , COVID-۱۹ infection , outcome