WVXU: Certain cancer treatments & COVID-19 could lead to death
Recent research shows combinations of treatments given at certain times could mean worse outcomes
A University of Cincinnati study found that cancer patients undergoing a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy one to three months prior to a COVID-19 diagnosis have a greater risk of death than patients who haven't undergone cancer treatment in the past year.
These findings were presented Saturday at the European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020.
Lead author Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UC, UC Health oncologist and member of the UC Cancer Center, and her team analyzed 3,600 patients from 122 institutions across the country for this study.
"Any way you slice it, this is not good news for patients who are fighting cancer," she says. "Targeted therapies, especially those causing immune cell depletion, used one to three months before (the diagnosis of COVID-19) are associated with very high mortality, up to 50%."
Photo of chemotherapy courtesy of the National Cancer Institute.
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Trial results support weekly buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy
March 16, 2026
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers led by the University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen published clinical trial results in JAMA Internal Medicine that found administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue, one of the standard methods of treatment.
UC Board of Trustees approves $12 million for building design phase for new welcome gateway
March 13, 2026
The UC Board of Trustees approved $12 million at its Feb. 24 meeting for the design phase of a new Welcome Gateway Building for Uptown campus.
Dual-arm robot stabilizes satellite for repairs in space
March 13, 2026
Interesting Engineering highlights an aerospace engineering research project examining novel ways to keep repair robots oriented in space.