EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF CANCER AND COVID-19 IN A DENSELY POPULATED SUBURBAN AREA

VILCHES LEMOS MARTIN; PILLOFF MARCELA; MERCEDES DIEDER GRANHAM; SOFIA BLANC; JUAN VELAZQUEZ; ROMINA VALERIO; MARINA MOZGOVOJ; DUS SANTOS MJ; JORGE MONTANARI; NATALIA CALLIENI

Congreso; REUNION CONJUNTA DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2021

Diverse studies and data reports from 2020 showed that cancer patients were moreprone to die by COVID-19, in special those undergoing hematologic malignancies andlung cancer. Information on how different cancer treatments influences the COVID-19condition still remains unclear presenting some controversies. As pandemic drove theagenda of the Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham (UNAHUR) to set up a diagnosticcenter for SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-qPCR that analyzes hundreds of samples fromnearby municipalities on a daily basis, we proposed to carry out a retrospective cohortstudy to elucidate relations and influences between cancer, cancer treatments, andCOVID-19. Furthermore, we proposed to standardize the RT-qPCR technique to quantifythe viral load of the patients to also relate it with the presence of the oncologicaldisease.Eligible patients are those with a measurable oncologic disease whose samples werepositive for SARS-CoV-2 infection at our diagnostic center. Data are systematized tocarry out the analysis, anonymizing the patients, and including the severity of COVID-19disease, type of cancer, and oncologic treatments, among others. All procedures wereapproved by both the ethical committees of UNAHUR and of Buenos Aires Province.Absolute viral load was quantified by constructing a plasmid with a sequence from theE viral gene ?the viral target for PCR? to obtain a calibration curve from serial dilutions.Therefore, we are analyzing possible relations between SARS-CoV-2 infection andclinical features of oncologic patients. We will present the preliminary results of the dataanalysis as well as sharing our research experience within the pandemic context.