ESMO 2021: COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Breast Cancer
Posted: Monday, September 20, 2021
Rachel Würstlein, MD, of LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany, and colleagues assessed how patients with breast or gynecologic cancer perceived and tolerated the COVID-19 vaccination in order to improve patient counseling. Presented during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021 (Abstract 1592P), the investigators concluded that the vaccination seemed to be well tolerated in patients undergoing systemic therapy, adding that few women experienced vaccination interference.
A total of 217 patients with breast or gynecologic cancer were questioned regarding the COVID-19 inoculation. Participants administered at least one dose of the approved vaccines were interviewed about immediate (0–2 days) and late (within 2 weeks after vaccination) side effects. Additionally, correlation between therapy administration and vaccination and the willingness of patients to receive vaccination were assessed and documented.
The researchers interviewed patients who received one (n = 111) or both (n = 21) injections of any approved COVID-19 vaccine. Many patients (60.2%) were older than age 55 and had stage III or IV cancer (69%). The BioNTech/Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna vaccines were received by 74.6%, 18.9%, and 6.5% of participants, respectively.
A local reaction (pain or swelling) was reported among 49.1% of patients, 23.4% experienced flu-like symptoms, 10.8% had headaches, and 3.6% dealt with nausea; 33.3% of individuals reported no side effects, and 11 patients experienced symptoms that lasted longer than 2 days. The vaccine impacted the delivery of systemic therapy for 11 patients, with 10 postponing treatment and 1 reducing the dose. Of note, most patients who were unvaccinated (n = 118) were already registered to receive the vaccine (61.3%), with 32.8% postponing the vaccine for personal reasons, and 5% refusing the vaccine entirely.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
