COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out in 2021, prioritized for vulnerable groups like those with cancer, the researchers pointed out. COVID-19 vaccination may have contributed to an increase in deaths from neoplasms like cancer during the 2021–22 pandemic period, according to a recently published study that called for more research on the issue.
The preprint study, published in ResearchGate, investigated death rates from neoplasms in the United States. Neoplasm refers to an abnormal mass of tissue caused by cells dividing and growing more than normal or not dying when they should. Some neoplasms can be malignant, like cancers, and can spread or invade other tissues and parts of the body. The study looked at death rate data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), investigating cases where neoplasms were listed as an underlying cause (UC) or one of multiple causes (MC) of death.
The MC/UC cancer death rate ratio “tends to be relatively stable over time,” researchers wrote. While the ratio was “relatively stable” between 2010 and 2019, it jumped in 2020 and continued to rise in 2021 and 2022. “This indicates a break from the existing trend in which people with cancer were increasingly dying of another condition or reason.” Researchers explained the 2020 jump as being due to COVID-19-related or other negative health effects linked to the pandemic like lockdowns, stress, less exercise, worse food habits, and lack of medical care.
As to the increase in MC/UC cancer death ratio seen in 2021 and 2022, “given the case studies of neoplasms following COVID-19 vaccination cited in the literature, one possible factor could be adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, which were rolled out from 2021 and prioritized for vulnerable groups such as those with cancer,” the study said.
“Additionally, one cannot disregard the possibility of continuous COVID-19 infections or Long COVID being contributors towards increased incidence or severity of cancers.” Excess UC death rates from neoplasms started in 2021 and “rose substantially” in 2022 for most age cohorts 15 years and above. It was older individuals aged 75 and above that showed the highest increases in UC excess deaths from cancers, with people aged 85 and older the most affected. Excess MC death rates began to rise in 2020 for age groups 35 to 44 and older.
Researchers recommended that “future studies should focus on COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and whether the vaccination rollout or COVID-19-related conditions such as Long COVID are contributing factors to the ongoing rise in neoplasm-related deaths.”
The authors mentioned some limitations in their analysis. First, the 2022 death rate data from the CDC was provisional, meaning the numbers are subject to potential changes, which could then impact the conclusions made in the study.
