The association between Memorial Sloan Kettering Frailty Index with 30-day survival among patients aged ≥ 75 with cancer and COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgo.2021.12.014Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Advanced age and multiple comorbidities have been established as a risk factor for more severe disease and increased mortality among patients with COVID-19, yet the impact of frailty in patients with cancer 75 years and older who are admitted, remains unclear.

Methods

To better understand the clinical presentation and course of illness for this population, we conducted a chart review of patients with cancer age 75 and older who were admitted to a comprehensive cancer center within 72 h of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis over a three-month period (March 1, 2020-May 31, 2020). Frequency and proportion of characteristics were reported. We additionally assessed the association between frailty and 30-day mortality using univariable logistic regression.

Results

Our cohort consisted of 70 patients. We found evidence that increased frailty based on MSK-FI was associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.00, 1.87; p-value = 0.051), though this did not meet conventional levels of significance.

Conclusion

Our analysis showed evidence of some association between degree of frailty and 30-day survival among older patients with cancer aged ≥75 who were admitted with COVID-19 infection. This finding illustrates the importance of frailty screening in the care management of older patients with cancer and COVID-19.

Keywords

Aging
Frailty
Cancer
COVID-19

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