Washington: The two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine provides an effective immune response and is safe in people undergoing treatment for certain types of cancer, a study published Thursday by JAMA Oncology found.
Compared to those without the disease, however, people with cancers caused by solid tumors, such as breast, colon and lung cancers, may have a “lagging” immune response to the vaccine, the researchers said.
The study did not assess the effects of the Moderna two-dose COVID-19, which has a similar composition, on patients receiving treatment for cancer, so it is unclear whether it would produce the same response, though earlier studies suggest it does.
“The vaccine appears safe and effective since throughout the study period there were no significant cases of COVID-19 infection in the study population,” said Ben-Aharon, an associate professor of oncology at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel.
Still, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may cause potentially concerning changes in certain liver enzymes in people undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, according to Ben Aharon.
As a result, vaccinated patients should be monitored for these changes as part of their routine care, he and his colleagues said.
