Management of Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Le résumé fourni par la source

In December 2019, a new pathogen-enveloped RNA betacoronavirus has been identified and named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes severe pulmonary disease in 14% of infected people. The WHO has declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, a public health emergency of international concern and declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Oncologic patients are considered more susceptible to infections than individuals without cancer, due to systemic immunosuppressive state caused by cancer itself and/or anticancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. In addition, cancer patients have frequently scheduled visits to the hospital and clinics, which can increase the risk of catching COVID-19. Furthermore, these patients carry poorer prognosis in case of infective complications and might be at increased risk of viral infections such as COVID-19, so clinical consultations for patients not requiring active treatment for cancer and follow-up were performed at wider intervals of time; other types of preventive measures also have been established to reduce virus spread. In addition, cancer patients were subjected to triage before admission to the hospital, and more specifically, the triage screening tools used include phone calls, virtual consultations, and telemedicine. Furthermore in 2020, a switch from antitumour venous treatment to oral treatment was carried out.

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