Covid-19 vaccines protect cancer patients, says European Society of Medical Ecology based on new studies confirming that their vaccination is safe and effective.

The results of the studies, presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Lugano, Switzerland, confirm that coronavirus vaccination is safe and effective in cancer patients, so it should be promoted to this group. Also, a third enhanced dose of chance may improve the open response in those cancer patients who do not have adequate protection after the second dose.

This is a long-awaited scientific confirmation that people with cancer not only should not be afraid of coronavirus vaccines, but they have every reason to do so. A number of studies now show that most people with cancer have a normal open response to the Covid-19 vaccine and have no more side effects than the general population. In addition, it is estimated that an extra dose could further increase the level of protection in this population group.

As cancer patients were excluded from the initial clinical trials of the vaccines, some doubts were expressed about their safety and efficacy in these vulnerable people who have often secured an immune system. But according to ESMO, there is no longer any cause for concern. At this year’s conference, the relationship of Covid-19 with oncology appeared in the spotlight, with more than 90 studies, according to its representative George Pentheroudakis.

An example is the Dutch study of 791 oncology patients in various hospitals, which concluded that those vaccinated are protected against coronavirus regardless of the type of cancer treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy or a combination thereof). Four weeks after their full vaccination with Moderna, 84% of chemotherapy patients had developed adequate antibody protection, as did 89% of chemotherapy-immunization patients and 93% of immunotherapy patients. On the other hand, it was found that with one dose of vaccine only one third of the patients undergoing chemotherapy had achieved an adequate immune response against the coronavirus, so the scientists stressed the need to administer both doses.

A second Israeli study of 232 cancer patients and 261 non-cancer patients (control group) vaccinated with Pfizer / BioNTech showed that 86% of cancer patients developed adequate antibodies after full vaccination (compared with only 29% after the first dose). The

A third UK study with a nominal STATUS of 585 cancer patients vaccinated with Pfizer / BioNTech or AstraZeneca found that most blood cancer patients (69%) had not developed any neutralizing antibodies other than dominance. of coronavirus. That is why, on behalf of ESMO, oncologist Dr. Quiz Castellano-Blanco noted that “the findings provide additional evidence that both doses, possibly a third booster, should be given to improve the protection of cancer patients. as it seems that their immune system will respond to the extra dose “.

He added that, in conjunction with the fact that the new studies did not find more side effects of the cancer vaccines, there is now clear evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine is largely safe and effective in them as well as in the general population. any side effects of the vaccines in cancer patients are mild and common to the general population: a small amount of pain at the injection site, fatigue, fever, chills, headache and muscle aches are common – usually to a lesser degree

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