Abstract
Background: Inflammatory responses from benign conditions can cause non-cancer-related elevations in tumor markers. The severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a distinct viral inflammatory response, resulting in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinical data suggest carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) levels might rise in patients with COVID-19. However, available data excludes cancer patients, so little is known about the effect of COVID-19 on tumor markers among cancer patients.
Methods: We conducted a case series and identified patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, diagnosis of a solid tumor malignancy, and a CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125, or CA 27-29 laboratory test. Cancer patients with documented COVID-19 infection and at least one pre- and two post-infection tumor marker measurements were included. We abstracted the electronic health record for demographics, cancer diagnosis, treatment, evidence of cancer progression, date and severity of COVID-19 infection, and tumor marker values.
Results: Seven patients were identified with a temporary elevation of tumor marker values during the post-COVID-19 period. Elevation in tumor marker occurred within 56 days of COVID-19 infection for all patients. Tumor markers subsequently decreased at the second time point in the post-infectious period among all patients.
Conclusion: We report temporary elevations of cancer tumor markers in the period surrounding COVID-19 infection. To our knowledge this is the first report of this phenomenon in cancer patients and has implications for clinical management and future research.
Keywords: COVID-19; cancer management; clinical management; clinical observations; tumor markers; viral infection.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Viral infection., Clinical management, Cancer management, clinical observations, tumor markers, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, Tumor, viral infection, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, Inflammatory responses, knowledge, Cancer, Infection, Diagnosis, Carcinoembryonic antigen, Electronic health record, Laboratory, Antigen, Case series, Health, Viral, COVID-19 infection, severity of COVID-19, clinical, response, Research, Patient, Cancer patients, Clinical management, cancer progression, respiratory, PCR test, patients, clinical observations, tumor markers, marker, Evidence, Inflammatory response, malignancy, demographics, Laboratory test, cancer patient, evidence of, health record, Post-infection, available data, Clinical data, severe acute respiratory coronavirus, Elevation, solid tumor, carbohydrate, positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR, cancer diagnosis, positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, implication, Respiratory Coronavirus, tumor marker, resulting, occurred, conducted, case sery, condition, induce, CEA, patients with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 SARS-COV-2 infection, marker, Patients with cancer,