ASPO Abstracts
The Association of Cancer History with COVID Risk, Symptom Severity, and Psychological Impact Among Postmenopausal Women: Results from the Women's Health Initiative
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2023
Abstract Body:
Purpose of the study: To examine the risk of COVID, long COVID, symptom severity, and psychological impact between postmenopausal women with and without a history of cancer. Methods: Participants from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) who completed the COVID survey were included. Data on testing for COVID-19, hospitalization, symptoms, concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, and anxiety were used. Long COVID was defined as any COVID symptoms lasting ≥8 weeks. Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were used to examine the association between cancer history and outcomes adjusting for other covariates. Results: Among the included women (n=37,289), 75.8% were ≥80 years, 87.3% were Non-Hispanic (NH) White, and 31% (n=11,567) had a history of cancer. Compared to women without a history of cancer, women with a history of cancer were more likely to be tested for COVID (42.6% vs. 39.9%, P<0.001). No differences were observed on COVID positivity (8.4% vs. 9.1%, P=0.18), hospitalization (1.1% vs. 1.1%, P=0.74), number of symptoms (5.5 vs. 5.2, P=0.26), and long COVID (39.9% vs. 35.2%, P=0.12) comparing women with vs. without a history of cancer. Women with a history of cancer were more likely to report brain fog as a COVID symptom (32% vs. 25.9%, P=0.03). Lower education attainment (vs. graduate degree), married or divorced (vs. single), or living in South or Midwest region (vs. northeast) were associated with increased risk of COVID positivity (all P<0.05). Among women who tested positive for COVID, older age, being NH Black (vs. NH White), Hispanic (vs. NH), and income of $35-49.9K (vs. $75K+) were associated with higher odds of hospitalization (all P<0.05). Older age was associated with fewer COVID symptoms (LS Mean for a 10-year increase=-1.27, 95%CI: -1.79, -0.76). Concerns about the COVID pandemic and anxiety scores were similar between women with and without a history of cancer. Conclusions: History of cancer was not associated with increased risk of COVID, symptom severity, long COVID, concern about COVID, or anxiety. Future studies need to identify strategies to address higher hospitalization and greater psychological impact of COVID for certain populations (e.g., low-income/education, racial/ethnic minorities).
Keywords: COVID risk; cancer history; postmenopausal women