Myeloma, Leukemia, and Other Cancers Linked to COVID: Study

The COVID-19 virus can promote tumor or cancer development by affecting certain signaling pathways.

By Ellen Wan

September 13, 2023

We are just beginning to discover the vast scope of the many persisting effects of COVID-19 infection. Recent research has revealed that patients who were severely ill and hospitalized after contracting the virus have an increased risk of developing cancer. At the same time, both the public and some experts are concerned about the efficacy of vaccines in preventing severe complications.

In May 2023, researchers from the University of Geneva's Institute of Global Health, the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, and other research institutions published a study in the journal Scientific Reports.

The researchers, using France's National Health Data System, analyzed cancer incidence among two groups—one consisting of 41,302 hospitalized patients due to severe COVID-19 infection between February 2020 and August 2021, and the other comprising 713,670 individuals who were not hospitalized due to infection as the control group. The two groups were matched in terms of gender, age, and geographic location.

The study showed that patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 infection had a 31 percent increased risk of developing cancer compared to the control group. Additionally, during the first three months following hospitalization, the risk of cancer among patients with COVID-19 was notably higher, with a 65 percent increase compared to the control group.

Severely ill patients experienced a notable increase in the risk of renal cancer by 216 percent, colon cancer by 72 percent, and lung cancer by 70 percent.

Furthermore, severely ill patients face a significantly increased risk of developing blood-related cancers, with a 228 percent increase in leukemia, a 121 percent increase in multiple myeloma, and a 115 percent increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The researchers conducted a further analysis based on age and gender, revealing that severe COVID-19 cases often indicate a higher cancer risk for women and individuals under the age of 60. After contracting COVID-19 and experiencing severe symptoms, the cancer risk increased by 69 percent for women and 20 percent for men. Additionally, the cancer risk rose by 78 percent for those under 60 and 22 percent for those aged 60 and above. Notably, for women under the age of 60, severe symptoms following infection resulted in a significant 115 percent increase in cancer risk.

The study did not establish a causal relationship between cancer and severe COVID-19 infection, but researchers believe that severe symptoms after contracting COVID-19 may be a marker of undiagnosed cancer.

Will Cancer Become a Long-Term Effect of COVID-19?

An increasing body of research suggests that the virus responsible for COVID-19 can have long-lasting immunomodulatory effects, trigger chronic inflammation, and cause irreversible tissue damage. Previous studies have also shown that the mechanisms by which some viruses induce tumors are often linked to chronic low-grade inflammation and immune escape. COVID-19 infection can lead to excessive cytokine release, impaired T-cell responses, aberrant activation of signaling pathways, and tissue damage—all of which are characteristics found in the tumor microenvironment.

A study published this year in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences delves deeper into the connection between the COVID-19 virus and cancer. On one hand, cancer patients are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and are at a higher risk of experiencing severe symptoms, and even death. On the other hand, the COVID-19 virus possesses carcinogenic potential—it can promote tumor or cancer development by affecting certain signaling pathways, altering tumor cells, and influencing metabolism.

During infection, mucin levels in the patient's body increase. Generally, there is a higher production of mucins in tumor tissues, while they are less common in normal tissues.

The researchers also noted that for survivors of COVID-19, the virus's lingering sequelae can persist for several months, potentially further increasing the risk of developing cancer. However, further investigation is required to confirm this finding.

Does COVID-19 Vaccination Truly Prevent Severe Symptoms?

Since the pandemic, governments in many countries have mandated vaccination to prevent the risk of severe symptoms following COVID-19 infection. However, some experts believe that receiving mRNA vaccines is associated with an increased incidence of cancer in young and middle-aged individuals.

Dr. Ryan Cole, an American pathologist and CEO of Cole Diagnostics, previously stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that there used to be very few cases of cancer among young individuals. However, following the commencement of COVID-19 vaccination, there has been a sudden increase in young cancer patients, and these cancers progress rapidly, often rendering traditional treatments ineffective.

An international collaborative research paper published in May in the journal Vaccines highlighted that, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's claim that the mortality rate in unvaccinated individuals remained higher than in vaccinated individuals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the UK revealed that between late November 2021 and December 2022, there were more deaths among individuals who received a third vaccine dose compared to those who remained unvaccinated.

A recent study examined the relationship between COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Europe in 2021 and the monthly all-cause mortality increase in 2022. The results showed that the mortality rates were higher than before the pandemic. Analyzing data for the first nine months of 2022 across 31 countries, it was found that countries with higher vaccine uptake in 2021 experienced a greater increase in all-cause mortality rates. For every one percentage point increase in vaccine uptake in 2021, there was a 0.105 percent increase in monthly mortality rates in 2022. This association remained robust after adjusting for other factors.

Xiaoxu Sean Lin, a virology expert who served as a U.S. Army microbiologist stated on the Health 1+1 program that most individuals infected with omicron experience mild or moderate symptoms. The proportion of people with severe symptoms is very low, and the rate of severe cases is also low among unvaccinated individuals.

He also highlighted that not getting vaccinated does not necessarily indicate a lack of concern for one's health. Many unvaccinated individuals maintain good personal hygiene to prevent disease transmission to others and take proactive measures to boost their immune systems. Mr. Lin suggested that in addition to vaccination, some medical data suggests that taking supplements like vitamins, ivermectin, or hydroxychloroquine may help prevent severe symptoms.

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