Blood Group and COVID-19 Transmission and Mortality in Patients With Malignant Disease

Senar Ebinç*; Zeynep Oruç; Ziya Kalkan; Zuhat Urakçı; Muhammet Ali Kaplan; Mehmet Küçüköner; Abdurrahman Işıkdoğan

doi:10.26332/seemedj.v5i2.205

Senar Ebinç* Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Zeynep Oruç Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Ziya Kalkan Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Zuhat Urakçı Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Muhammet Ali Kaplan Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Mehmet Küçüköner Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Abdurrahman Işıkdoğan Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle university, Diyarbakır, Turkey

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26332/seemedj.v5i2.205

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to investigate risk factors affecting the transmission of and mortality from COVID-19 in patients diagnosed with a malignant disease. In this context, ABO blood groups, gender, age, type of malignant disease, type of anti-tumoral agents, comorbidities and stage were examined.

Materials and Methods: Files of 1,256 patients who presented to our clinic between March and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients diagnosed with a malignant disease who became infected with COVID-19 and those who did not were compared with regard to demographic, clinical characteristics and laboratory results (status of having been infected with COVID-19, ABO blood groups).

Results: Of 1256 patients in total, 72 (5.7%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Median age of cancer patients infected with COVID-19 was 53 years (18-80). The most common types of cancer included gastrointestinal cancer (22.2%), breast cancer (20.8%), genitourinary cancer (20.8%) and lung cancer (16.7%). Of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 18.1% (n=13) died. Multivariate analysis identified disease stage as an independent prognostic factor for the risk of mortality [HR: 0.07, 95% CI (0.007-0.74), (p=0.02)]. A comparison of patients who became infected with COVID-19 and those who did not with regard to ABO blood groups (p=0.39) showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. There was also no correlation between ABO blood groups and the risk of COVID-19-related mortality (p=0.83).

Conclusion: In patients suffering from malignant diseases, the ABO blood type exhibited no correlation with the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mortality. This study determined the presence of metastatic disease as a negative prognostic factor. Patients suffering from a metastatic malignant disease represent a high risk group for COVID-19 and should be treated using all necessary precautions.