Background: Patients with solid tumours have high COVID-19 mortality. Limited and heterogeneous data are available regarding the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in this population. Methods and findings: This is a prospective, single-centre cohort study aiming at evaluating seroconversion in terms of anti-spike antibodies in a population of patients with solid tumours undergoing cancer therapy within 2 months before the second vaccine dose, as compared with a cohort of controls. Subjects who were not SARS-CoV-2 naïve were excluded, and 171 patients were included in the final study population (150 vaccinated with BNT162b2, 87.7%; 21 with mRNA-1273, 12.3%) and compared with 2406 controls. The median follow-up time from the second dose of vaccination was 30 days (12–42; IQR: 26–34). Most patients had metastatic disease (138, 80.7%). Seroconversion rate was significantly lower in cancer patients than in controls (94.2% versus 99.8%, p < 0.001). At univariate logistic regression analysis, Odds ratio (OR) for seroconversion was also reduced in older individuals (>70 years). A multivariate logistic model confirmed cancer as the only significant variable in impairing seroconversion (OR 0.03, p < 0.001). In the cancer population, a multivariate analysis among clinical variables, including the type of cancer treatment, showed ECOG PS > 2 as the only one of impact (OR 0.07, p = 0.012). Conclusions: There is a fraction of 6% of patients with solid tumours undergoing cancer treatment, mainly with poorer performance status, who fail to obtain seroconversion after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. These patients should be considered for enhanced vaccination strategies and carefully monitored for SARS-CoV-2 infection during cancer treatment.

Impaired seroconversion after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in patients with solid tumours receiving anticancer treatment / A. Amatu, A. Pani, G. Patelli, O.M. Gagliardi, M. Loparco, D. Piscazzi, A. Cassingena, F. Tosi, S. Ghezzi, D. Campisi, R. Grifantini, S. Abrignani, S. Siena, F. Scaglione, A. Sartore-Bianchi. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER. - ISSN 0959-8049. - 163:(2022), pp. 16-25. [10.1016/j.ejca.2021.12.006]

Impaired seroconversion after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in patients with solid tumours receiving anticancer treatment

A. Pani;G. Patelli;O.M. Gagliardi;M. Loparco;D. Piscazzi;S. Abrignani;S. Siena;F. Scaglione
Penultimo
;
A. Sartore-Bianchi
Ultimo
2022

Abstract

Background: Patients with solid tumours have high COVID-19 mortality. Limited and heterogeneous data are available regarding the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in this population. Methods and findings: This is a prospective, single-centre cohort study aiming at evaluating seroconversion in terms of anti-spike antibodies in a population of patients with solid tumours undergoing cancer therapy within 2 months before the second vaccine dose, as compared with a cohort of controls. Subjects who were not SARS-CoV-2 naïve were excluded, and 171 patients were included in the final study population (150 vaccinated with BNT162b2, 87.7%; 21 with mRNA-1273, 12.3%) and compared with 2406 controls. The median follow-up time from the second dose of vaccination was 30 days (12–42; IQR: 26–34). Most patients had metastatic disease (138, 80.7%). Seroconversion rate was significantly lower in cancer patients than in controls (94.2% versus 99.8%, p < 0.001). At univariate logistic regression analysis, Odds ratio (OR) for seroconversion was also reduced in older individuals (>70 years). A multivariate logistic model confirmed cancer as the only significant variable in impairing seroconversion (OR 0.03, p < 0.001). In the cancer population, a multivariate analysis among clinical variables, including the type of cancer treatment, showed ECOG PS > 2 as the only one of impact (OR 0.07, p = 0.012). Conclusions: There is a fraction of 6% of patients with solid tumours undergoing cancer treatment, mainly with poorer performance status, who fail to obtain seroconversion after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. These patients should be considered for enhanced vaccination strategies and carefully monitored for SARS-CoV-2 infection during cancer treatment.
Cancer; Chemotherapy; COVID-19; Immunogenicity; Immunotherapy; Seroconversion; Vaccine
Settore MED/06 - Oncologia Medica
2022
22-dic-2021
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Amatu Eur J Cancer 2022.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 681.71 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
681.71 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/897277
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 12
  • Scopus 16
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 14
social impact