Abstract
Background: Chronic systemic diseases (CSD) and cancer are
closely related to the clinical course, severity and mortality of
COVID-19 due to the immunosuppressive conditions caused by these
diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences
between the effects of cancer and CSD on the clinical and laboratory
parameters of patients with COVID-19.
Methods: The study included patients who received inpatient
treatment with the diagnosis of COVID-19 at Ondokuz Mayıs University
between 16 March, 2020, and 1 December, 2020. The participants were
divided into four groups as follows: those without comorbidities (Group
1), those with only CSD (Group 2), those with only cancer (Group 3), and
those with both CSD and cancer (Group 4). Comparative statistical
evaluation was performed in terms of clinical symptoms, biochemical
parameters, admission to intensive care and survival.
Results: In total, 750 patients were included: 242 patients in
Group 1, 442 in Group 2, 27 in Group 3, and 39 in Group 4. The mean age
of the patients was 57.1 ± 9.4 years and 53.7% were male. Patients of
Group 1 were significantly different from those of the other groups in
terms of age, requirement for intensive care and intubation,
complications, survival, white blood cell and lymphocyte count,
neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and levels of haemoglobin, lactic acid
dehydrogenase, ferritin, D-dimer and C-reactive protein (for each p
< 0.001).
Conclusion: No difference was observed among laboratory
parameters, intensive care admission, intubation need, complication
frequency and survival rates in patients with CSD or cancer.
Keywords: COVID-19, chronic systemic disease, cancer,
comorbidity