To date, the clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-infected urologic cancer patients are unknown.
We have analyzed all patients with prostate cancer undergoing hormonal or chemotherapy treatment and receiving telephone and in person pre-triage between March 1 and 27, 2020, at the Tortora Hospital, Pagani, Italy.
Among 72 patients, 48 and 24 were hormone-sensitive (HS) and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), respectively; 0 HS and 2 (8.3%) CRPC (p < 0.05) were positive for COVID-19. Both patients were receiving LHRH agonist therapy, and 1 patient was receiving enzalutamide. Urgent intensive care unit admission was required due to clinical worsening. Blood tests showed severe lymphopenia, anemia, and an increase in platelets. Retroviral therapy, antibiotics, heparin, and chloroquine were prescribed at the beginning. One patient also received tocilizumab as a salvage treatment. After 3 weeks of hospitalization, the patients were discharged from the hospital. Both patients suffered from an aggressive COVID-19 course due to concomitant comorbidities.
Investigating whether hormonal therapy, especially in advanced disease, acts as a protective factor or a risk factor during COVID-19 could be useful.
Oncology. 2020 Jun 22 [Epub ahead of print]
Giuseppe Di Lorenzo, Luciana Buonerba, Concetta Ingenito, Felice Crocetto, Carlo Buonerba, Annamaria Libroia, Antonella Sciarra, Gianluca Ragone, Roberto Sanseverino, Simona Iaccarino, Giorgio Napodano, Ciro Imbimbo, Emilio Leo, Zisis Kozlakidis, Sabino De Placido
Oncology Unit, "Andrea Tortora" Hospital, ASL Salerno, Pagani, Italy, ., Oncology Unit, "Andrea Tortora" Hospital, ASL Salerno, Pagani, Italy., Department of Neurosciences, Sciences of Reproduction and Odontostomatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy., Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy., Urology Division, Umberto I Hospital, Nocera Inferiore, Italy., International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France.