July 24, 2020 — The following quote is attributed to Harpreet Singh, M.D., Associate Director, Cancer in Older Adults and Special Populations, FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence; and Director, Division of Oncology 2, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research:
- The FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) and SyapseExternal Link Disclaimer presented data at the American Association of Clinical Research (AACR) COVID-19 and CancerExternal Link Disclaimer meeting on an analysis of more than 212,000 health records of people living with cancer across two major health systems in the Midwestern United States.
- The analysis found that cancer patients who also had COVID-19 are more likely (compared to those without COVID-19) to have: (1) other health conditions (e.g., kidney failure, obesity and heart disease), (2) increased rates of hospitalization and invasive mechanical ventilation, and (3) a 16-fold increased mortality risk. The researchers also underscored evidence for health care disparities among cancer patients with COVID-19.
- This presentation is part of OCE’s partnerships with experts in healthcare data and analytics to investigate characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer who are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This work builds upon several initiatives under way across FDA that leverage real-world data to improve understanding of COVID-19. These efforts include FDA’s participation in the COVID-19 Evidence AcceleratorExternal Link Disclaimer, organized by the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA in collaboration with Friends of Cancer Research.
- The OCE continues to engage with stakeholders and collaborate with partners on opportunities to apply data from diverse sources to inform its understanding of COVID-19 in people with cancer.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
For more information: www.fda.gov
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June 12, 2026 
