TABLE 1.
Tumor marker response to COVID‐19 infection in seven patients with cancer
| Patient No. | Age, y | Primary cancer diagnosis | Biomarker (units) | Pre‐COVID‐19 (time relation to infection) | Post‐COVID‐19 (time relation to infection) | Severity of COVID‐19 infection (WHO Clinical Progression score) | Evidence of disease progression a | Change in cancer treatment b | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID1 | 64 | Rectal cancer | CEA (ng/ml) | 2.4 (−34 days) | 3.3 (56 days) |
2.2 (150 days) |
Hospitalized moderate disease (5) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | No change. Continued cancer surveillance without therapy. |
| ID2 | 76 | Gastric cancer | CEA (ng/ml) | 3.8 (−26 days) | 9.1 (33 days) | 3.9 (179 days) | Ambulatory mild disease (2) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | No change. Continued cancer surveillance without therapy. |
| ID3 | 58 | Colon cancer | CEA (ng/ml) | 17.3 (−85 days) | 23.2 (−2 days) | 16.7 (40 days) | Hospitalized moderate disease (5) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | No change. Continued FOLFOX and bevacizumab. |
| ID4 | 65 | Ovarian cancer | CA 125 (U/ml) | 513.1 (−13 days) | 607.3 (−1 day) | 419.9 (29 days) | Ambulatory mild disease (2) | Unknown | Change. Therapy withheld in post‐COVID‐19 period. |
| ID5 | 72 | Gastric cancer | CA 19–9 (U/ml) | 259 (−31 days) | 436 (20 days) | 218 (81 days) | Hospitalized moderate disease (4) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | Change. Therapy with held in post‐COVID‐19 period. |
| ID6 | 63 | Pancreatic cancer | CA 19–9 (U/ml) | 81 (−40 days) | 147 (24 days) | 106 (79 days) | Hospitalized moderate disease (4) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | No change. Continued gemcitabine and paclitaxel. |
| ID7 | 55 | Pancreatic cancer | CA 19–9 (U/ml) | 23 (−50 days) | 113 (6 days) | 24 (48 days) | Ambulatory mild disease (2) | No growth or new disease on radiographic study | No change. Continued cancer surveillance without therapy. |
Abbreviations: FOLFOX, folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin; WHO, World Health Organization.
a
Evidence of disease progression documented in clinical note or in radiographic imaging report within the time from the first biomarker to test to the last reported biomarker test.
b
Cancer treatment refers to any chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery received during the study period.