Heterogeneous immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy

Cynthia L Bowes; Vivek Naranbhai; Kerri J St Denis; Evan C Lam; Brittany Bertaux; Florence K Keane; Melin J Khandekar; Alejandro B Balazs; John A Iafrate; Justin F Gainor; Henning Willers

doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2021.11.012

Heterogeneous immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy

Radiother Oncol. 2022 Jan:166:88-91. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2021.11.012. Epub 2021 Nov 25.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
² Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: hwillers@mgh.harvard.edu.

Abstract

The immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy is unknown. This prospective cohort study demonstrates that anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody and neutralization titers are reduced in a subset of thoracic radiotherapy patients, possibly due to immunosuppressive conditions. Antibody testing may be useful to identify candidates for additional vaccine doses.

Keywords: COVID-19; Immunogenicity; Lung cancer; Radiotherapy; SARS-CoV-2; mRNA vaccine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

BNT162 Vaccine
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19*
Humans
Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines
BNT162 Vaccine

Grants and funding

DP2 DA040254/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States