CCP Cancer UK Companion Study

In December 2019 the first pneumonia cases of unknown origin were identified in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province. High-throughput sequencing revealed the pathogen to be a novel enveloped RNA betacoronavirus. Initially named 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) it was subsequently renamed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (2). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is via respiratory droplets and direct contact, and infection results in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 30th January 2020, and a global pandemic on 11th March 2020.

The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 are typically fever, dry cough and fatigue, sometimes accompanied by sore throat, chest discomfort and difficulty breathing. However, a wide range of other symptoms are possible, including gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Loss of taste and smell have also been described.

Individuals with malignant disease are more prone to respiratory viruses than individuals without cancer as a result of immunosuppression caused by either the underlying disease process or systemic anti-cancer therapy. The death rate from influenza in patients with solid organ tumours is much higher than expected for the background population, even allowing for likely ascertainment bias. This is reflected in individuals with cancer being recommended to receive the seasonal flu vaccination. Certain groups of cancer patients are even more prone to infection. For example, patients with haematological malignancy undergoing bone marrow transplantation have significant mortality even with rhinovirus, which can double the transplant related mortality. There is currently no prospective robust data regarding the presentation, management and outcome of patients with COVID-19 with cancer who are immunocompromised as result of either the disease or treatment. Furthermore, it is not clear if the immunosuppressive effects of systemic anti-cancer therapy such as chemotherapy are the same across all cancer types and the possible risks entailed by targeted therapies and immunotherapy. Currently, cancer patients on treatment are considered at high risk group of possible severe infection with SARS-CoV-2 and measures such as self-isolation are being recommended to mitigate the risks of such patients being infected. However, information to inform this decision, and whether any specific sub-groups of patients are at particular risk is lacking. These data are vital to inform policy on cancer treatments as patients may be potentially exposed to SARS-CoV-2 for a long time to come. Furthermore, given patients with cancer are often immunosuppressed and this may alter the clinical presentation as well as clinical course and outcomes. Different tumour types may also have implications for SARS-CoV-2 exposure, for example patients with lung cancer may be more susceptible, and require different pathways to ensure care can be delivered safely. This protocol aims to describe the presentation, management and outcomes of patients with solid and haematological malignancies with COVID-19 and compared to non-cancer patients. The CCP-CANCER UK will provide valuable information that would educate as well as help inform current practice and development of guidelines globally with regard to COVID19 infection in cancer patients. While samples collected within CCP-UK from cancer patients will enable an understanding of the biology of COVID-19 in the setting of cancer-related immunodeficiency both innate and iatrogenic.