Incidence of COVID-19 in cancer patients in a teaching hospital faculty of medicine in Medan, Indonesia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of COVID-19 in cancer patients in the Teaching Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted at H. Adam Malik Hospital and USU General Hospital, Medan, from March 2020 to August 2021. The main inclusion criteria for the participants were COVID-19 and confirmed cancer. A total sampling technique was used. RESULTS: Among the 3308 COVID-19 patients studied, the mean age was 44 years, ranging from 1 day to 92 years. Male participants were slightly more prevalent (51.8% vs 48.2%). Twenty-five of these patients (0.75%) had both COVID-19 and cancer, and thus met the inclusion criteria. The most common types of cancer were leukemia (20.0%), breast cancer (20.0%), ovarian cancer (16.0%), lymphoma (8.0%), and osteosarcoma (8.0%). The proportions of patients with mild, moderate, and severe degrees of COVID-19 where 48.0%, 24.0%, and 28.0%, respectively. Seven patients required intensive care, and five died. CONCLUSION: The incidence of COVID-19 in patients with cancer was relatively low. Nevertheless, almost a third of cancer patients with COVID-19 developed severe disease and had poor prognoses. Vaccination among cancer patients is important to protect them from poor outcomes if exposed to COVID-19.