Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship
Abstract Previous research demonstrated Non-Hispanic Black populations experience higher COVID-19 mortality rates than Non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, cancer status is a known risk factor for COVID-19 death. While prior studies investigated comorbidities as exploratory variables in dif...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95037-3 |
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| author | Leah Vaidya Nubaira Rizvi Xiao-Cheng Wu Lauren S. Maniscalco Yong Yi Augusto Ochoa Qingzhao Yu |
| author_facet | Leah Vaidya Nubaira Rizvi Xiao-Cheng Wu Lauren S. Maniscalco Yong Yi Augusto Ochoa Qingzhao Yu |
| author_sort | Leah Vaidya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Previous research demonstrated Non-Hispanic Black populations experience higher COVID-19 mortality rates than Non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, cancer status is a known risk factor for COVID-19 death. While prior studies investigated comorbidities as exploratory variables in differences in COVID-19 hospitalization, none have explored their role in COVID-19-related deaths. This study aimed to evaluate whether Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and subsequently, individual diseases are potential explanatory variables for this relationship. The analysis focused on Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White cancer patients aged 20 or older, diagnosed between 2011 and 2019, who tested positive for COVID-19 from the start of pandemic through June 30, 2021 from Louisiana Tumor Registry. Two separate mediation analyses were conducted. First checked whether overall comorbidity, measured by CCI, could explain the difference in COVID-19 mortality. If so, further checked which individual comorbidities contributed to this difference. The hazard rate for Non-Hispanic Black cancer patients dying from COVID-19 was 6.46 times than that of Non-Hispanic White patients. The CCI accounted for 12.7% of the differences observed in COVID-19 mortality, with renal disease as the top contributor, explaining 4.9%. These findings could help develop interventions to reduce COVID-19 mortality and address the disproportionate impact, especially by managing chronic conditions like renal disease. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c218f3472a164dca82056256d5d4c26d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-c218f3472a164dca82056256d5d4c26d2025-08-20T03:41:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-95037-3Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationshipLeah Vaidya0Nubaira Rizvi1Xiao-Cheng Wu2Lauren S. Maniscalco3Yong Yi4Augusto Ochoa5Qingzhao Yu6Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterBiostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterLouisiana Tumor Registry, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterLouisiana Tumor Registry, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterLouisiana Tumor Registry, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterStanley S. Scott Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterBiostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences CenterAbstract Previous research demonstrated Non-Hispanic Black populations experience higher COVID-19 mortality rates than Non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, cancer status is a known risk factor for COVID-19 death. While prior studies investigated comorbidities as exploratory variables in differences in COVID-19 hospitalization, none have explored their role in COVID-19-related deaths. This study aimed to evaluate whether Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and subsequently, individual diseases are potential explanatory variables for this relationship. The analysis focused on Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White cancer patients aged 20 or older, diagnosed between 2011 and 2019, who tested positive for COVID-19 from the start of pandemic through June 30, 2021 from Louisiana Tumor Registry. Two separate mediation analyses were conducted. First checked whether overall comorbidity, measured by CCI, could explain the difference in COVID-19 mortality. If so, further checked which individual comorbidities contributed to this difference. The hazard rate for Non-Hispanic Black cancer patients dying from COVID-19 was 6.46 times than that of Non-Hispanic White patients. The CCI accounted for 12.7% of the differences observed in COVID-19 mortality, with renal disease as the top contributor, explaining 4.9%. These findings could help develop interventions to reduce COVID-19 mortality and address the disproportionate impact, especially by managing chronic conditions like renal disease.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95037-3Mediation analysisCovid-19CancerCharlson comorbidity indexRacial differenceRenal disease |
| spellingShingle | Leah Vaidya Nubaira Rizvi Xiao-Cheng Wu Lauren S. Maniscalco Yong Yi Augusto Ochoa Qingzhao Yu Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship Scientific Reports Mediation analysis Covid-19 Cancer Charlson comorbidity index Racial difference Renal disease |
| title | Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| title_full | Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| title_fullStr | Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| title_short | Differences in Covid-19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| title_sort | differences in covid 19 deaths amongst cancer patients and possible mediators for this relationship |
| topic | Mediation analysis Covid-19 Cancer Charlson comorbidity index Racial difference Renal disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95037-3 |
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