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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic Significantly Impacts Mortality Rates Among Oncological Patients

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A new study has shed light on the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality rates among patients with tumors. Conducted at the First Hospital of Jilin University, the research found that the mortality rate among oncology patients increased significantly by 7.1% during the pandemic compared to the prepandemic period. The study, published in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology, also discovered that patients with meningiomas experienced the greatest increase in mortality, at 28.3%, while patients with lung and bronchial tumors saw a significant decrease in mortality.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 7.1% increase in mortality rates among oncology patients between 2020-2021 and 2018-2019.
  • Patients with meningiomas experienced the greatest increase in mortality, at 28.3%, followed by patients with tumors of the cranial nerves and other parts of the nervous system, who saw a 28.9% increase in mortality.
  • The only exception was patients with lung and bronchial tumors, who experienced a significant decrease in mortality.
  • A total of 1,911,877 patients with tumors were included in the study, with 903,521 deaths occurring among oncological patients between 2018 and 2019, and 1,008,356 deaths between 2020 and 2021.
  • COVID-19 accounted for 63,947 deaths among oncological patients in 2020 and 2021, with 59.5% of these deaths occurring in patients who had been diagnosed with tumors more than five years prior.

Statistics:

  • 7.1% increase in mortality rates among oncology patients between 2020-2021 and 2018-2019.
  • 28.3% increase in mortality among patients with meningiomas.
  • 28.9% increase in mortality among patients with tumors of the cranial nerves and other parts of the nervous system.
  • 0.9488 decrease in mortality among patients with lung and bronchial tumors (95% CI: 0.9406-0.9571).
  • 59.5% of deaths attributed to COVID-19 occurred in patients who had been diagnosed with tumors more than five years prior.
  • 63,947 deaths attributed to COVID-19 among oncological patients in 2020 and 2021.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Research Conducted at First Hospital of Jilin University Has Updated Our Knowledge about COVID-19 (The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all-cause mortality among oncological patients: a population-based study). Cancer Weekly. October 28, 2025; p 175.
  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all-cause mortality among oncological patients: a population-based study. World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2025;23(1):379.

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