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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic Presents Unique Challenges for Cancer Patients: Study

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to monitor the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality in cancer patients, who are often immunocompromised due to their underlying health conditions and cancer therapies. Researchers from Cedars Sinai Medical Center, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have established the SARS-CoV-2 Serological Sciences Network to study immune responses against the virus. This large-scale effort has faced significant challenges, including regulatory and institutional requirements, participant enrollment, data and biospecimen collection, and harmonization.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need to monitor the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality in cancer patients, who are often immunocompromised due to their underlying health conditions and cancer therapies.
  • The SARS-CoV-2 Serological Sciences Network, established by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is the largest coordinated effort to identify and establish standardized serology tests to study immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.
  • Concerted efforts were launched to define common data elements for self-reported and clinicopathological data, as well as standardized approaches for serological, cellular, and molecular assays.
  • The study concluded that the urgency of the situation, the pace of scientific evolution, and the changing public health landscape presented unique challenges to this effort.
  • The research provides a roadmap for combatting the emergence of future pathogens with pandemic potential.
  • Jane C. Figueiredo, from Cedars Sinai Medical Center, led the research team, which included Philip C. Mack, Fred R. Hirsch, James M. Crawford, Andres Chang, Anna Yin, Sabra L. Klein, Patrick Shea, David Zidar, Viviana Simon, Russell McBride, Carlos Cordon-Cardo, Charles Gleason, Jennifer VanOudenhove, Stephanie Halene, F. Eun-Hyung Lee, Nicholas Mantis, Lawrence H. Kushi, Jacek Skarbinski, Daniela Weiskopf, Akil Merchant, and Karen L. Reckamp.

Statistics:

  • The SARS-CoV-2 Serological Sciences Network has established cohort studies in 2020 and 2021 across the nation to prospectively follow more than 3000 patients with solid and hematologic malignancies.
  • The network has defined common data elements for self-reported and clinicopathological data.
  • Standardized approaches for serological, cellular, and molecular assays have been developed to study immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.

Sources:

  • In the Time of Covid-19: Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned From Studies In Cancer Patients. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025.
  • NewsRx. Researchers from Cedars Sinai Medical Center Detail New Studies and Findings in the Area of COVID-19 (In the Time of Covid-19: Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned From Studies In Cancer Patients). Cancer Vaccine Week. July 21, 2025; p 184.

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