Retrospective study for the characterization of COVID-19 in renal cancer (COVID-REN) patients treated with antiangiogenics or immunotherapy and outcome comparison with non-infected cases.
Authors: Jesus Garcia Donas, Guillermo de Velasco, Teresa Alonso Gordoa, Jesús Chamorro, Diana Rosero, Olatz Etxaniz, Jose Luis Perez-Gracia, Alvaro Pinto, Ignacio Duran, Diego Cacho, María Barba, Monica Yagüe, Pablo Borrega, Martín Lázaro, Laura Rodriguez, Maria Laura L. Villalobos Leon, Lourdes Garcia Sanchez, M. Andres Cuellar, Juan Francisco Rodriguez-Moreno
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2021)

4577 Background: Cancer is recognized as a major risk factor for severe COVID19. However little is known about the impact of oncologic treatments in the evolution of the disease. On the other hand, the influence of SARS-CoV2 in cancer response remains to be established. We aim to determine both aspects in renal cancer patients receiving different therapeutic options. Methods: We designed a retrospective case-control study to compare the outcome of patients with advanced renal cancer who developed COVID19 under antiangiogenic treatment (cohort A [ChA]) vs immunotherapy (alone or in combination: cohort B [ChB]) vs matched controls (cohort C [ChC]). Controls were renal cancer patients who were not infected during the period of study. One control per case was selected regarding age, gender, kidney cancer histology and type of treatment. Results: From May 20 to Feb 21, 80 patients were recruited. We present the first 55 patients included (15 ChA, 16 ChB and 20 ChC, 4 patients were screening failure) from 13 centers in Spain. Median age was 62 (range 25 to 88) overall and 62 (range 44 to 88) in Ch A, 64,5 (range 42 to 83) in ChB and 61 (range 41 to 77) in ChC. 38 patients were male and 13 were female. Overall 45 cases were clear cell carcinoma (13 ChA, 14 ChB and 18 ChC), 4 papillary (1 ChA, 2 ChB and 1 ChC), 1 chromophobe (ChA) and 1 unclassified (ChC). Median number of prior lines of treatment was 2 (range 1 to 6) overall, (1 [range 1 to 4] in ChA, 2 [range 1 to 4] in ChB and 2 [range 1 to 6] in ChC). 25 patients required treatment interruptions (8 in ChA [32%], 14 in ChB [56%] and 3 [12%] in ChC). 9 patients were hospitalized (4 in Ch A, 5 in ChB and none in ChC) for a median of 10 days (range 4 to 16) overall (7 [range 4 to 14] in ChA and 12 [range 5 to 16] in ChB). No patient required ICU admission. Best tumor response was complete or partial (CR+PR) in 25 patients (5 [20%] in ChA, 9 [36%] in ChB and 11 [44%] in ChC). Clinical benefit (CR+PR+stable disease) was observed in 38 patients (11 [28,9%] in ChA, 10 [26,3%] in ChB and 17 [44,7%] in ChC). One patient in ChB died (due to COVID19). Updated results will be presented. Conclusions: Patients with renal cancer who developed COVID19 held treatment more frequently and presented lower clinical benefit rates than non infected cases. Patients receiving immunotherapy required more frequent dose interruptions and longer hospitalizations than cases on antiangiogenics. These results point to an impact of SARS-CoV2 in renal cancer outcome. Therapies administered to treat renal cancer, could play a role in the evolution of COVID19.