Study Suggests Link Between Rising Cancer Death Rates and COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out in 2021, prioritized for vulnerable groups like those with cancer, the researchers pointed out.

A medical assistant holds a tray of syringes filled with doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Los Angeles on Feb. 16, 2021. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

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.