Association of Convalescent Plasma Therapy with Survival in Patients With Hematologic Cancers and COVID-19

This multi-institutional cohort study of 966 hospitalized patients with both hematologic cancers and COVID-19 investigated whether convalescent plasma therapy is associated with improved outcomes for such patients.

  • The main outcome examined was 30-day all-cause mortality. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, convalescent plasma treatment was associated with improved 30-day mortality. This association remained significant after propensity score matching.
  • Secondary subgroup analyses were conducted on patients with severe COVID-19 who required mechanical ventilatory support, intensive care unit admission or both. Convalescent plasma treatment was also associated with improved outcomes for these subgroups.
  • Prior studies have established hematologic cancers as a risk factor associated with particularly poor outcomes from COVID-19. The findings of this cohort study suggest a potential survival benefit in the administration of convalescent plasma to patients with hematologic cancers and COVID-19.
  • If this finding is confirmed in prospective clinical trials, convalescent plasma would be, to the authors' knowledge, the first COVID-19 intervention with a survival benefit in this high-risk population.