Patients with active cancers and those in remission face significantly higher risk of severe COVID-19 compared to those without cancer, a study shows.

An analysis of medical records from 323 patients who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus revealed that among the 67 with a history of cancer, there were higher rates of hospitalisation and 30-day mortality related to COVID-19, researchers reported in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.

Compared to patients without cancer, a cancer diagnosis was associated with double the odds of hospitalisation and nearly six times the odds of 30-day mortality after adjustment for a range of potential confounders.

In a subgroup analysis by cancer status, (active versus remission) adjusted associations with hospitalisation, ICU admission and 30-day mortality were strongest in the patients with active cancer versus those without the disease which suggested that the association between cancer diagnosis and poor COVID-19 outcomes was primarily driven by active cancer.