More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, new information emerges daily about the virus and its effects on various vulnerable populations.
The CDC’s list of underlying medical conditions that elevate risk for severe illness due to COVID-19 is described as a “living document” that will likely remain in flux as knowledge about the virus evolves.
Cancer has been identified as one disease likely to increase risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes.
Because bone marrow plays an essential role in immune function, hematologic malignancies are a particular area of concern. Individuals with blood cancers may have compromised immune systems due to the cancer, its treatment or both.
“Hematologic malignancies are diseases of the blood, the bone marrow and lymphoid organs, and that’s where most immune functions take place,” Nathan A. Berger, MD,Hanna-Payne professor of experimental medicine, professor of medicine, biochemistry and oncology, and director of the Center for Science, Health and Society at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, said in an interview with HemOnc Today. “We think the mechanism of that increased susceptibility is because of immune suppression or immune deficiency associated with the disease.”
However, the paucity of mechanistic data on this association reflects an overall lack of understanding about the interplay between hematologic malignancies and COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to unfold, researchers strive to make real-time treatment decisions based on limited information.
“It’s tough, because we don’t have much evidence out there,” Andrew Ip, MD, hematologist/oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health John Theurer Cancer Center, told HemOnc Today. “We think convalescent plasma helps, but it’s still not strongly evidence-based. We’re waiting on larger research trials to publish their data. It’s very hard to make judgments when there’s not much good data.”