New 30-Month Study Links COVID-19 Vaccination to Cancer Hospitalizations

COVID-19 vaccination, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization for cancer: 30-month cohort study in an Italian province”, authored by Acuti Martellucci et al. and published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Sciences (EXCLI Journal) in July 2025.

📝 The study analyzed the entire population of Pescara province (Abruzzo region, central Italy)—296,015 residents aged ≥11 years—from June 2021 (6 months after the vaccination campaign began) to December 2023 (up to 30 months of follow-up). It used official Italian National Health System data on vaccinations, SARS-CoV-2 infections, demographics, comorbidities, and hospital discharge records (SDOs) to proxy cancer incidence via first-time hospitalizations for cancers (excluding skin cancers).

🔑 Key findings:
- Overall cancer hospitalization: Vaccinated individuals (≥1 dose; 83.3% of cohort) had a 36% higher hazard ratio (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.23–1.50, p<0.001) for all-cancer hospitalization compared to unvaccinated (16.6% of cohort), based on 3,134 total cases.
‼️ Site-specific increases (statistically significant, p<0.05):
✅ Bowel/colorectal cancer: +54% (HR 1.54).
✅ Breast cancer: +54% (HR 1.54).
✅ Bladder cancer: +105% (HR 2.05).
✅ Other sites (e.g., prostate, lung) showed variable but non-significant elevations.