Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Patients Undergoing Active Antitumor Treatment in Italy

This letter briefly describes the results of an Italian retrospective study that reports a 0.68% rate of PCR-positive Covid-19 infection among 59,989 patients receiving antitumour treatment (higher than that in the general population), with 77% requiring hospitalisation.

SPS commentary:

The authors comment that the rate of infection observed in this patient cohort is low when compared with the benefits achievable with most oncological treatments. They say the observed higher risk of developing Covid-19 when compared to the general Italian population in the same time frame could be due to higher age, increased likelihood of viral exposure (continued hospital visits), and does not necessarily reflect a higher biological susceptibility.

JAMA Oncology