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Journal of Hematology & Oncology

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01-12-2022 | Lymphoma | Research

Serologic response following SARS-COV2 vaccination in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors: Atsushi Sakuraba, Alexander Luna, Dejan Micic

Published in: Journal of Hematology & Oncology | Issue 1/2022

Abstract

Purpose

Patients with cancer have an increased risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and an attenuated responses to various vaccines. This meta-analysis aims to assess the serologic response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cancer.

Methods

Electronic databases were systematically searched on August 1, 2021 for studies that reported the serologic response to COVID-19 vaccine in cancer patients. Random effects models were used to achieve pooled serologic response rates and odds ratios (ORs).

Results

We analyzed 16 observational studies with a total of 1453 patients with cancer. A majority of studies used mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273). The proportion of patients achieving a serologic response after a single and two doses of COVID-19 vaccine were 54.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 41.0–66.9) and 87.7% (95% CI 82.5–91.5), respectively. Patients with hematologic cancers had a lower response rate after the second dose of vaccine compared to those with solid organ cancers (63.7% vs. 94.9%), which was attributable to the low response rates associated with certain conditions (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma) and therapies (anti-CD20, kinase inhibitors). A lower proportion of patients with cancer achieved a serologic response compared to control patients after one and two doses of vaccine (OR0.073 [95% CI 0.026–0.20] and 0.10 [95% CI 0.039–0.26], respectively).

Conclusions

Patients with cancer, especially those with hematologic B-cell malignancies, have a lower serologic response to COVID-19 vaccines. The results suggest that cancer patients should continue to follow safety measures including mask-wearing after vaccination and suggest the need for additional strategies for prophylaxis.

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Title: Serologic response following SARS-COV2 vaccination in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Atsushi Sakuraba
Alexander Luna
Dejan Micic
Publication date: 01-12-2022
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Lymphoma
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
COVID-19 Vaccination
Vaccination
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Hematologic Cancer
Hematologic Cancer
Published in: Journal of Hematology & Oncology / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1756-8722
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-022-01233-3

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