Survived Childhood Cancer? You May Be at Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19

Adults who overcame cancer during childhood may face serious health risks if they catch COVID-19, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Even though childhood cancer survival rates have significantly increased in recent years, cancer's long-term effects and treatment still have an impact on health.

Over 13K Survivors Across Sweden and Denmark: Study

Researchers looked at health records from more than 13,000 people who were diagnosed with cancer before age 20 and were at least 20 years old by the time the pandemic began. These survivors were compared to their siblings and randomly selected people of similar age and gender from the general population.

Findings showed that childhood cancer survivors were not more likely to get infected with COVID-19, but if they did get sick, they were 58% more likely to develop severe symptoms. Severe cases were defined as requiring hospitalisation, intensive care, or resulting in death.

Why the Risk Is Higher Even Years Later

Javier Louro, a researcher at Karolinska Institutet and lead author of the study, explained that the increased risk is likely linked to the lasting impact of cancer treatments. “Even if these individuals didn’t get infected more often, the illness hit them harder,” he said.

The study also showed that the difference in risk became more noticeable during waves of high infection rates, like during the spread of the Alpha and Omicron variants.

Call for Protection in Future Health Crises

Interestingly, the risk increase was greater in Sweden, where pandemic restrictions were less strict, compared to Denmark, which had tighter rules early on. The researchers suggest that adult survivors of childhood cancer be regarded as a susceptible population in the event of a pandemic in the future in light of these findings. They recommend that these individuals be prioritised for vaccines and receive extra protection when virus transmission is high.