Androgen-deprivation therapies for prostate cancer and risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2: a population-based study (n=4532)

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Montopoli M, Zumerle S, Vettor R, Rugge M, Zorzi M, Catapano CV, Carbone GM, Cavalli A, Pagano F, Ragazzi E, Prayer-Galetti T, Alimonti A.

Ann Oncol. 2020 May 4:S0923-7534(20)39797-0. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.04.479. Online ahead of print.

 

Abstract

Background: Cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 depends on binding of the viral spike (S) proteins to ACE2 and on S protein priming by TMPRSS2. Inhibition of TMPRSS2 may work to block or decrease the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Intriguingly, TMPRSS2 is an androgen-regulated gene that is upregulated in prostate cancer where it supports tumor progression and is involved in a frequent genetic translocation with the ERG gene. First- or second-generation androgen-deprivation therapies (ADTs) decrease the levels of TMPRSS2. Here we put forward the hypothesis that ADTs may protect patients affected by prostate cancer from SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Materials and methods: We extracted data regarding 9280 patients (4532 males) with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 68 hospitals in Veneto, one of the Italian regions that was most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The parameters used for each COVID-19 positive patient were gender, hospitalization, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), death, tumor diagnosis, prostate cancer diagnosis, and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT).

Results: There were 9280 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients in the Veneto on April 1, 2020. Overall, males developed more severe complications, were more frequently hospitalized, and had a worse clinical outcome than females. Considering only the Veneto male population (2.4 Million men), 0.2% and 0.3% of non-cancer and cancer patients, respectively, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Comparing the total number of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases, prostate cancer patients receiving ADT had a significantly lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to patients who did not receive ADT (OR 4.05; 95% CI 1.55-10.59). A greater difference was found comparing prostate cancer patients receiving ADT to patients with any other type of cancer (OR 5.17; 95% CI 2.02-13.40).

Conclusion: Our data suggest that cancer patients have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections than non-cancer patients. However, prostate cancer patients receiving ADT appear to be partially protected from SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

 

Pubmed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32387456