COVID-19 and cancer

Cancer is one of the underlying diseases that increases the risk of COVID-19 developing to serious illness.[1]

Risk of severe illness

According to a study done in Italy, 20% of those died from COVID-19 infection had active cancer.[2] The NHS of United Kingdom has warned that those undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy for lung cancer and those with bone marrow cancers are vulnerable to serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19.[3][4] A study from China shows that if the antitumor treatment was taken within last 14 days, it significantly increases the risk of developing severe illness due to COVID-19.[5] Another study from China showed that hospitalized persons with hematological cancers have similar chances of getting COVID-19 as was for healthcare workers, but have more severe illness and a higher case fatality rate.[6]

Recommendations

The European Society of Medical Oncology recommends that oncologists should remain ready to adjust their clinical routines in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for using telemedicine services, reducing clinic visits, switching intravenous therapies to subcutaneous or oral therapies, when possible. The Society also recommends advising patients on infection control.[7]

The NHS England stresses that individual patient decisions have to be made by multidisciplinary teams.[3] NHS has also established priority groups for those receiving anticancer treatments such that those with higher chances of success get prioritized for treatment over others.[3]

The European Society of Surgical Oncology advces against seeing patients with cancer who are over 70 years of age in clinic, unless it is urgent.[8]

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References
  1. "COVID-19 och cancer". www.internetmedicin.se. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. Onder, Graziano; Rezza, Giovanni; Brusaferro, Silvio (12 May 2020). "Case-Fatality Rate and Characteristics of Patients Dying in Relation to COVID-19 in Italy". JAMA. 323 (18): 1775–1776. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4683. ISSN 0098-7484. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. Burki, Talha Khan (1 May 2020). "Cancer guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic". The Lancet Oncology. 21 (5): 629–630. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30217-5. ISSN 1470-2045. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. "Clinical guide for the management of noncoronavirus patients requiring acute treatment: Cancer" (PDF). Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. Zhang, L.; Zhu, F.; Xie, L.; Wang, C.; Wang, J.; Chen, R.; Jia, P.; Guan, H. Q.; Peng, L.; Chen, Y.; Peng, P.; Zhang, P.; Chu, Q.; Shen, Q.; Wang, Y.; Xu, S. Y.; Zhao, J. P.; Zhou, M. (26 March 2020). "Clinical characteristics of COVID-19-infected cancer patients: a retrospective case study in three hospitals within Wuhan, China". Annals of Oncology. doi:10.1016/j.annonc.2020.03.296. ISSN 0923-7534. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  6. He, Wenjuan; Chen, Lei; Chen, Li; Yuan, Guolin; Fang, Yun; Chen, Wenlan; Wu, Di; Liang, Bo; Lu, Xiaoting; Ma, Yanling; Li, Lei; Wang, Hongxiang; Chen, Zhichao; Li, Qiubai; Gale, Robert Peter (24 April 2020). "COVID-19 in persons with haematological cancers". Leukemia: 1–9. doi:10.1038/s41375-020-0836-7. ISSN 1476-5551. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  7. "Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An ESMO Guide for Patients". www.esmo.org. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  8. "ESSO Statement on COVID-19 :: ESSO". www.essoweb.org. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
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