Abstract 443: Predictors of mortality in hospitalized African American COVID19 cancer patients

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated outcomes manifest differently depending on patients’ background and pre-existing conditions. It remains unclear how African Americans with and without cancer have been affected. Aim: To determine epidemiological, clinical comorbidities, and laboratory test results to identify markers associated with mortality in COVID-19 cancer patients. Methods: We reviewed all COVID-19 hospitalized patient records from Dec. 2019 to Nov. 2021 at Howard University Hospital. Patients having a history of, or active cancer status were reviewed. All the clinical, treatment, lab values, and pathological data were extracted. Statistical analysis of the COVID-19 cancer patients and comparison with non-cancer COVID-19 patients were performed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Out of 800 COVID-19 infected patients, a total of 49 patients were identified with different types of cancer, with both active and previous history. Females consisted of 26 cancer patients (53%). Cancer patients were older than non-cancer patients (mean age-70.6 vs. 56.3 years) and had an increased length of hospital stay (mean 13.9 vs 9.4 days). Among cancer patients, breast cancer was more prevalent in females and prostate cancer in males, (54% and 52% respectively). In both cases and controls, univariate and multivariate analyses did not show any correlation between individual symptoms or clinical comorbidities and death. Higher reduction in albumin level in cancer cases, from the time of admission to day five, was significantly associated with death during the same hospital stay compared to those who were discharged (p<0.001). In controls, lymphocytes count, AST, and Albumin have shown an association with increased mortality. Comparison of patients with active vs. previous cancer showed no significant difference in the clinical outcome, death vs discharge (P=0.34). Conclusion: Albumin level has shown to have an inverse relationship with clinical outcomes among all COVID infected African American patients. Reduction in Albumin level during the hospital stay, particularly in COVID-19 cancer patients should be considered as a predictor of mortality. No significant difference was noticed in the clinical outcome in patients with previous versus active cancer. Further research with a large cohort size is needed to verify and identify other predictors of outcome in COVID-19 cancer patients and develop appropriate treatment modalities. Citation Format: Suryanarayana reddy challa, Lakshmi Gayathri Chirumamilla, Nader Shayegh, Josie Z Fazzino, Adeyinka O. Laiyemo, philip Oppong-Twene, Zaki A. Sherif, Oluwabusola Olamide Lawal, Daniel Larbi, Gholamreza Oskrochi, Hassan Brim, Hassan Ashktorab. Predictors of mortality in hospitalized African American COVID19 cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 443.