Are colorectal cancer patients at risk for COVID-19 infection during the postoperative period? The Covid-GRECCAR study

Jean-Jacques Tuech (1) , Gilles Manceau (2, 3) , Mehdi Ouaissi (4) , Christine Denet (5) , Amélie Chau , Alex Kartheuser (6) , Véronique Desfourneaux (7) , Emilie Duchalais (8, 9) , Martin Bertrand (10) , Bogdan Badic (11) , Arnaud Alves (12) , Cecilia Ceribelli (13) , Aurelien Venara (14) , Diane Mege (15) , François Mauvais (16, 17) , Fréderic Dumont (18) , Jean-Yves Mabrut (19) , Zaher Lakkis (20) , Eddy Cotte (21) , Helene Meillat (22)

1 Département de Chirurgie [CHU Rouen]
2 CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP]
3 SU FM - Sorbonne Université - Faculté de Médecine
4 CHU Trousseau [Tours]
5 IMM - Institut Mutualiste de Montsouris
6 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
7 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes [CHU Rennes] = Rennes University Hospital [Ponchaillou]
8 Institut des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif
9 CHU Nantes - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes
10 CHU Nîmes - Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau [Nîmes]
11 CHRU Brest - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Brest
12 ANTICIPE - Unité de recherche interdisciplinaire pour la prévention et le traitement des cancers
13 UNICANCER/ICL - Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine - Alexis Vautrin [Nancy]
14 CHU Angers - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers
15 TIMONE - Hôpital de la Timone [CHU - APHM]
16 Chirurgie digestive [CHU Amiens]
17 SSPC - Simplification des soins chez les patients complexes - UR UPJV 7518
18 UNICANCER/ICO - Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest [Angers/Nantes]
19 Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse [CHU - HCL]
20 CHRU Besançon - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Besançon
21 CHLS - Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud [CHU - HCL]
22 IPC - Institut Paoli-Calmettes

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients have been regarded as having a high risk of severe events if they are infected with SARS-CoV-2, particularly those under medical or surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the posttreatment risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 in a population of patients operated on for colorectal cancer 3 months before the COVID-19 outbreak and who after hospitalization returned to an environment where the virus was circulating. Materials and methods: This French, multicenter cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer between January 1 and March 31, 2020, at 19 GRECCAR hospitals. The outcome was the rate of COVID-19 infection in this group of patients who were followed until June 15, 2020. Results: This study included 448 patients, 262 male (58.5%) and 186 female (41.5%), who underwent surgery for colon cancer (n = 290, 64.7%), rectal cancer (n = 155, 34.6%), or anal cancer (n = 3, 0.7%). The median age was 68 years (19-95). Comorbidities were present in nearly half of the patients, 52% were at least overweight, and the median BMI was 25 (12-42). At the end of the study, 448 were alive. Six patients (1.3%) developed COVID-19 infection; among them, 3 were hospitalized in the conventional ward, and none of them died. Conclusion: The results are reassuring, with only a 1.3% infection rate and no deaths related to COVID-19. We believe that we can operate on colorectal cancer patients without additional mortality from COVID-19, applying all measures aimed at reducing the risk of infection.

Mots clés: COVID-19 outbreak; Cancer; Colorectal surgery; Oncology; Pandemic

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Jean-Jacques Tuech, Gilles Manceau, Mehdi Ouaissi, Christine Denet, Amélie Chau, et al.. Are colorectal cancer patients at risk for COVID-19 infection during the postoperative period? The Covid-GRECCAR study. International Journal of Colorectal Disease, 2021, ⟨10.1007/s00384-021-03847-4⟩. ⟨hal-03145796⟩