Association of postoperative influenza vaccine on overall mortality in patients undergoing curative surgery for solid tumors

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  • Mikail Gögenur
  • Tina Fransgård
  • Tyra Grove Krause
  • Lau Caspar Thygesen
  • Gögenur, Ismail

Recent findings have found that the influenza vaccine induces changes in the immune system in favor of antitumor cytotoxicity. The aim of our study was to investigate if an influenza vaccine given in the postoperative period decreased overall and cancer-specific mortality in patients undergoing curative surgery for solid cancers. We conducted a registry-based national observational study in Denmark in the period January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015 with a follow-up period of 3 years starting from 180 days after surgery. Patients with solid cancers undergoing curative surgery were included. The primary outcome was overall mortality. The secondary outcome was cancer-specific mortality. A total of 21 462 patients were included in the study with 2557 patients receiving an influenza vaccine within 6 months after surgery. In a Cox regression model, a decrease in overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81-0.99, P =.03) and cancer-related mortality (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.93, P =.003) was found among patients given a vaccine vs patients never receiving a vaccine. In a predefined subgroup of patients receiving a vaccine within 30 days after surgery, a decrease in overall mortality (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72-0.94, P =.007) and cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.91, P =.009) was found. No association was evident in patients receiving the vaccine after 30 days to 6 months after surgery (overall mortality: HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.86-1.07, P =.46); cancer-specific mortality: HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.76-1.03, P =.12). These findings must be investigated in larger clinical trials where both immunological biomarkers and survival outcomes are included.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Cancer
Volume148
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1821-1827
Number of pages7
ISSN0020-7136
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Union for International Cancer Control

    Research areas

  • cancer, epidemiology, immunology, oncology, perioperative

ID: 304515351