The Impact of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on COVID-19 Illness in Men With Prostate Cancer
MD Neil J Shah, MD Vaibhav G Patel, DrPD Xiaobo Zhong, MD Luis Pina, MD Jessica E Hawley, MD Emily Lin, MD Benjamin A Gartrell, MD Victor Adorno Febles, MD David R Wise, MD Qian Qin, BA George Mellgard, PhD Himanshu Joshi, MD Jones T Nauseef, MD David A Green, MD Panagiotis J Vlachostergios, MD Daniel H Kwon, MD Franklin Huang, MD Bobby Liaw, MD Scott Tagawa, MD Philip Kantoff, MD Michael J Morris, MD William K Oh
JNCI Cancer Spectrum, doi:10.1093/jncics/pkac035
Background: TMPRSS2, a cell surface protease regulated by androgens and commonly upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa), is a necessary component for SARS-CoV-2 viral entry into respiratory epithelial cells. Previous reports suggested a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 among PCa patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, the impact of ADT on severe COVID-19 illness is poorly understood. Methods: We performed a multicenter study across 7 US medical centers and evaluated patients with PCa and SARS-CoV-2 detected by polymerase-chain-reaction between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020. PCa patients were considered on ADT if they had received appropriate ADT treatment within 6 months of COVID-19 diagnosis. We used multivariable logistic and Cox proportional-hazard regression models for analysis. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results: We identified 465 PCa patients (median age ¼ 71 years) with a median follow-up of 60 days. Age, body mass index, cardiovascular comorbidity, and PCa clinical disease state adjusted overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] ¼ 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] ¼ 0.68 to 1.98, P ¼ .59), hospitalization status (HR ¼ 0.96, 95% CI ¼ 0.52 to 1.77, P ¼ .90), supplemental oxygenation (HR 1.14, 95% CI ¼ 0.66 to 1.99, P ¼ .64), and use of mechanical ventilation (HR ¼ 0.81, 95% CI ¼ 0.25 to 2.66, P ¼ .73) were similar between ADT and non-ADT cohorts. Similarly, the addition of androgen receptor-directed therapy within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis to ADT vs ADT alone did not statistically significantly affect overall survival (androgen receptor-directed therapy: HR ¼ 1.27, 95% CI ¼ 0.69 to 2.32, P ¼ .44). Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort of PCa patients, the use of ADT was not demonstrated to influence severe COVID-19 outcomes, as defined by hospitalization, supplemental oxygen use, or death. Age 70 years and older was statistically significantly associated with a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease.
Notes Role of the funder: The design, interpretation, and analysis of this study, the writing of the manuscript, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication rest solely with the authors.
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