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World J Virol. Nov 25, 2021; 10(6): 312-325
Published online Nov 25, 2021. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v10.i6.312
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 infection) in lymphoma patients: A review
Valentina Bonuomo, Isacco Ferrarini, Michele Dell'Eva, Eugenio Sbisà, Mauro Krampera, Carlo Visco
Valentina Bonuomo, Isacco Ferrarini, Michele Dell'Eva, Eugenio Sbisà, Mauro Krampera, Carlo Visco, Section of Haematology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
Author contributions: Bonuomo V, Ferrarini I and Visco C designed and conceptualized the review procedure; Bonuomo V and Ferrarini I wrote the first concept of the article; Bonuomo V performed the literature research; Bonuomo V, Ferrarini I and Visco C analyzed the data and wrote the final manuscript; All authors reviewed and amended subsequent versions and discussed the clinical aspects and implications of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors do not have any conflict of interest. No financial or non-financial benefits have been received or will be received from any party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Carlo Visco, MD, Professor, Section of Haematology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, P. Le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy. carlo.visco@univr.it
Received: April 21, 2021
Peer-review started: April 21, 2021
First decision: July 7, 2021
Revised: July 16, 2021
Accepted: August 9, 2021
Article in press: August 9, 2021
Published online: November 25, 2021
Processing time: 214 Days and 23.3 Hours
Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection now has a global resonance and represents a major threat for several patient populations. Observations from initial case series suggested that cancer patients in general might have an unfavorable outcome following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to their underlying conditions and cytotoxic treatments. More recently, data regarding the incidence and clinical evolution of COVID-19 in lymphomas have been reported with the aim to identify those more frequently associated with severe complications and death. Patients with lymphoma appear particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, only partly because of the detrimental effects of the anti-neoplastic regimens (chemotherapy, pathway inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies) on the immune system. Here, we systematically reviewed the current literature on COVID-19 in adult patients with lymphoma, with particular emphasis on disease course and prognostic factors. We also highlighted the potential differences in COVID-19 clinical picture according to lymphoma subtype, delivered treatment for the hematological disease and its relationship on how these patients have been managed thus far.

Keywords: Lymphoma; SARS-CoV-2 infection; Hematological malignancies; COVID-19; Rituximab; Bendamustine

Core Tip: Recently, the scientific literature has been widely occupied by reports on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. However, patients with cancer have been under-represented, and patients with lymphoma have rarely been described. The real impact of this tremendous pandemic on the life expectancy of patients with different subtypes of lymphoma is still unknown, especially in relation to chemo-, chemo-immunotherapy and/or biologic treatments. Furthermore, the relationship between lymphoma patients’ characteristics and the infection behavior is undescribed. With this review we pointed out what literature clarifies in the prognosis and management of patients with lymphoma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.