Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, an oncology research fellow and visiting scientist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, discusses the results of a subgroup analysis evaluating antibody responses to COVID-19 in patients with cancer.

According to results from the prospective, longitudinal, pan-tumor CAPTURE study (NCT03583099), patients with cancer are able to mount functional immune responses to COVID-19 infection, Au says. However, there are emerging signals indicating that investigators must put their efforts into the subgroup analysis, Au explains. Registry data suggest that patients with hematologic malignancies are at higher risk for adverse outcomes from COVID-19 infection, but a larger trial is needed to solidify that data in patients with solid tumors, Au notes.

The overall goal of the CAPTURE study is to enroll more than 1000 patients to have larger numbers for the subgroup analysis, as well as more accurate data readouts regarding the contribution of cancer types, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, and the context in which they would impact patients with cancer over the course of COVID-19, Au concludes.

Videos

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, discusses the results of a subgroup analysis evaluating antibody responses to COVID-19 in patients with cancer.


Dr. Au on the Results of a Subgroup Analysis Evaluating Antibody Response to COVID-19 in Cancer

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, an oncology research fellow and visiting scientist at the The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, discusses antibody responses to COVID-19 observed in patients with cancer.

Patients with cancer mount antibody responses to COVID-19 that are comparable to those seen in subjects without cancer, according to results from the prospective, longitudinal, pan-tumor CAPTURE study. However, patients with hematologic malignancies behaved differently, Au says. For example, patients with lymphoma did not mount an antibody response to the virus, Au explains. The problem is likely underpinned by defects present in immune lineages, Au notes.

In terms of the duration of antibody response to COVID-19 observed in patients with cancer, responses were sustained as of 5 months of follow-up, Au concludes.

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, discusses antibody responses to COVID-19 observed in patients with cancer.

Dr. Au on Antibody Responses to COVID-19 Observed in Patients With Cancer

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, an oncology research fellow and visiting scientist at The Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust and Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, discusses the impact that COVID-19 has had and will continue to have on cancer care.

The oncology community faced numerous challenges throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that will need to be addressed in due course, Au says. For example, the effects of delays in cancer diagnoses during the various peaks of the pandemic will be seen over the coming months and years, according to Au.

The recovery of healthcare services will also need to be addressed, Au notes. Moreover, providers will need to consider what lasting changes will need to be implemented in cancer care to prepare for potential future spikes of COVID-19 or other infectious disease scenarios, Au concludes.

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, discusses the impact that COVID-19 has had and will continue to have on cancer care.


Dr. Au on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, oncology research fellow, visiting scientist, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, discusses the rationale to evaluate antiviral immunity from COVID-19 among patients with cancer.

The prospective, longitudinal, pan-tumor CAPTURE study evaluated the immune profiles of patients with cancer to determine the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in the context of the pandemic, says Au. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant challenge for risk evaluation and mitigation among patients with cancer, and understanding the degree and characteristics of immune response in these patients against COVID-19 was largely unknown. 

Initial data from early in the pandemic suggested that patients with cancer had worse outcomes with COVID-19 compared with the general population, explains Au. However, to what degree patients’ underlying cancer and cancer treatment affected outcomes with COVID-19 had been an unanswered question, concludes Au. 

Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, discusses the rationale to evaluate antiviral immunity from COVID-19 among patients with cancer.  



Lewis Au, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP

Articles

Dr. Au on the Results of a Subgroup Analysis Evaluating Antibody Response to COVID-19 in Cancer

Dr. Au on Antibody Responses to COVID-19 Observed in Patients With Cancer

Dr. Au on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care

Dr. Au on the Rationale to Evaluate Antiviral Immunity From COVID-19 in Cancer