Why Colin Powell’s Cancer likely Reduced Protection from Covid-19 Vaccine

Although the Covid-19 vaccine provides strong protection against serious illness and death in healthy people, patients with multiple myeloma are part of a group of immunodeficiencies and may not respond as well. Studies have shown that.One study published in July nature Only 45% of patients with multiple myeloma responded appropriately to the vaccine, compared with 22% who responded partially. One-third were unresponsive.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, CNN’s medical analyst and professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, said Powell “represents the country’s most vulnerable population” on Monday.

“He was over 80 years old and had cancer, and treatment for the cancer left him vulnerable,” Reiner told CNN’s Jim Sciutto and Erica Hill. “So when trying to convince a young man who feels the risk of the virus itself is low, why vaccination is needed, it is our treasure, our people like General Powell, our grandparents. Protecting. A 25-year-old child, even if he spreads the infection to someone like General Powell, can be very successful in getting the infection. It is a prerequisite for vaccination in this country. ”

What is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that begins in white blood cells called plasma cells.

When plasma cells are healthy, they help the body fight infections and toxins by making immune system proteins called antibodies.

All types of cancer begin when cells grow out of control. In this type of cancer, cancerous plasma cells begin to accumulate.

“Multiple myeloma makes the immune system very weak because the cancer cells fill the bone marrow and swarm all the cells that make up the immune system,” said Aberov, a professor of oncology and medicine. Dr. Drew Purdall said. , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Pathology and Molecular Biology and Genetics.

Powell’s cancer made it difficult to fight the coronavirus infection, and treatment may have further weakened his immune system.

How is multiple myeloma treated?

Treatment of multiple myeloma includes chemotherapy and steroids. Both can weaken the immune system.

Stem cell transplants may also be part of the treatment of some patients, according to the American Cancer Society.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a type of treatment called chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy or CAR-T therapy for people with multiple myeloma who did not respond to previous cancer treatments. bottom. Such treatments alter the patient’s T cells so they can better attack the cancer cells.

“We’ve made good progress, but it’s still a difficult disease to treat,” said Dr. William Kans, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society.

Patients with multiple myeloma can live for years with treatment, but they are not considered curable.

“There are many treatments for multiple myeloma, often early, but eventually the tumor cells become resistant and move on to another treatment and another,” Purdall said. He said. “There is basically no cure for patients with multiple myeloma, so in many cases individuals can live for years, sometimes more than 10 years, with available treatments. . “

Why doesn’t the vaccine work for people with multiple myeloma?

Even with vaccination, people with multiple myeloma (or many other health conditions) may not be able to initiate the immune response that healthy people do.

“Vaccines like the Covid vaccine give the immune system a small taste and small examples of the Covid virus, so many additional soldiers who can produce these antibodies and specifically attack the virus. I’m wary of it, “Kans said. “When the plasma cells that make antibodies become cancerous, they are not very skilled at making the antibodies needed for certain pathogens, such as the virus that causes Covid.”

For patients with multiple myeloma, it may be even less.

“These patients are at a disadvantage in fighting the virus. Even with the vaccine, 20% to 30% of patients with multiple myeloma have shown a poor immune response to the vaccine.” Said Ribas. ..

Do additional shots help protect people with multiple myeloma or other health conditions?

Since August, patients with hematological malignancies have been one of immunocompromised people eligible for a third dose of Pfizer and Modanacovid-19 vaccine. That additional dose was expected to help some people initiate a stronger immune response.

More adults are already eligible to receive Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine boosters, and the US Food and Drug Administration is also considering boosters for Modana and Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients.

Powell’s longtime Chief of Staff, Tifrino, told CNN that Powell had been vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer vaccine and received a second dose in February. He was supposed to get a booster last week, but he didn’t get a booster because of his illness.

It is imperative that people around people with multiple myeloma (or other immunocompromised conditions) be vaccinated.

“It’s not their fault that they can’t produce a good immune response, so the important thing is to have everyone around them fully vaccinated,” Rivas said. Poor response to vaccine. He hopes those guidelines will change.

“We need to be able to adequately protect everyone around them so that they don’t carry the virus to them,” he said.