Lower COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Hematologic Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

A study has found that the preventive effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in blood cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is significantly lower than that in solid cancer patients.

Professor Yoon Jin-ah's team from the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital.
[Photo by Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital]

원본보기 아이콘

The research team led by Professor Yoon Jin-ah from the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital (Professors Kim Se-hyung, Kim Chan-gyu, Park Seong-gyu, Lim Seong-hee, Clinical Pathologist Choi Seong-hyeok, Nurses Kim Ji-yeon and Kim Bo-ra) conducted a comparative study on antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination in solid cancer and blood cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, confirming these findings on the 22nd.

The team evaluated the levels of COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies in 48 solid cancer patients and 37 blood cancer patients who had received the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, blood cancer patients showed significantly lower levels of COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies compared to solid cancer patients. The average antibody response was 45.3% in blood cancer patients and 67.78% in solid cancer patients.

Professor Yoon stated, "We confirmed that blood cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy exhibit relatively weaker antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine," emphasizing, "It is important for blood cancer patients to adhere to preventive measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and hand hygiene even after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to prevent infection."

This study was recently published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Meanwhile, the research team has published multiple studies on antibody formation after COVID-19 vaccination and changes in antibody formation after COVID-19 infection in high-risk groups such as cancer patients and healthcare workers, which have been published in SCI-level journals. Professor Yoon said, "We hope that various studies related to the COVID-19 vaccine will help understand the immune responses of cancer patients and healthcare workers, evaluate preventive effects, and assist in planning future additional vaccinations."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.