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This review summarises the outcomes of people with COVID-19 taking immunotherapy for cancer. It outlines the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination and looks at various treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer.
Immunotherapy is not associated with a higher risk of death in patients with active COVID-19 disease. B-cell–depleting therapies, such as CAR T-cell therapies, are associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes. The effectiveness of vaccines is high in patients receiving immunotherapies and low in those receiving B-cell–depleting therapies.
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection should be universally recommended for patients with cancer. When administering COVID-19 treatments to cancer patients on active treatment, oncologists should consider the potential risk of toxicity from drug interactions.