Patients with solid tumours ‘will mount good immune response against Covid-19’

Many patients with solid tumours are able to mount the same level of an immune response to Covid-19 as those without cancer, scientists have said.

But the researchers have also warned that patients who have blood cancer may be more vulnerable to infection as it may take them around five times longer than average to shake off the virus.

The findings come from a new study funded by Cancer Research UK.

The experts said that their work provides “reassurance” that many cancer patients “will mount a good immune response against the virus”.

Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said: “People with cancer and their families might feel especially worried about the virus, as certain types of cancer and its treatment can lower the ability to fight infection.

“This study starts to give some reassurance for those with solid tumours but backs the evidence that people with blood cancers may be more vulnerable.

“Anyone undergoing cancer treatment should continue to follow the advice of their doctors during the pandemic to protect themselves from catching the virus.”

A team of researchers led by Dr Sheeba Irshad, a Cancer Research UK scientist based at King’s College London, analysed the blood of 76 cancer patients, 41 of whom had Covid-19.

Eighteen of the 41 patients had blood cancer, while the remainder had solid tumours.

The samples were compared to the blood of people who did not have cancer.

According to the researchers, the immune response to Covid-19 was found to be the same in people with solid tumours compared to those without cancer.

This was the case even where patients were in the advanced stages of cancer and were undergoing treatments.

Both groups were able to mount a strong immune response to the initial Covid-19 infection, and subsequently developed high levels of antibodies which were present up to 78 days after exposure to the virus, the researchers said.

However, the researchers found that blood cancer patients varied in their ability to respond to coronavirus, with many unable to shake off the virus for up to 90 days after the first signs of infection.

They found that the immune response in people with certain types of blood cancer was milder in the early phases of the disease and became stronger over time.

This was especially true for cancers affecting B cells – a type of immune cell that plays a key role in immune memory, the experts said.

Dr Irshad said: “Whilst we need to maintain caution, our study provides some confidence and reassurance to care providers that many of our patients with solid cancers will mount a good immune response against the virus, develop antibodies that last and hopefully resume their cancer treatment as soon as possible.

“These conclusions imply that many patients despite being on immunosuppressive therapies will respond satisfactorily to Covid-19 vaccines.

“For patients with blood cancers, especially those with B-cell malignancies, this may not hold true even in the era of Covid-19 vaccines.

“Our work suggests that they may be susceptible to persistent infection despite developing antibodies, so the next stage of our study will focus on monitoring their response to the vaccines.

“At present the best way to protect them may be to vaccinate all the carers to achieve herd immunity in the clinic.”