Has Ovarian Cancer Treatment Changed During COVID-19?

The most important thing to know, says Dr. Diver, is that none of these COVID-induced changes mean a lowered standard of care for patients. "We are doing everything in our power to ensure that there is no compromise of care for our patients during the pandemic," she says.

What Comes FirstSurgery or Chemotherapy?

"When women come to me with a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer, it’s important that we review that there are two treatment modalities that are absolutely essential as part of her care.," says Dr. Diver, referring to surgery and chemotherapy. "The surgery tends to be a big surgery, where our goal is to remove all of the tumors that we can see in the abdomen and pelvis. This is called a debulking surgery; as it removes the bulk of the tumor."

Women with ovarian cancer are usually given six cycles of chemotherapy in addition to surgery. All six of the treatments may be given after recovery from the operation. Or, depending on a woman's cancer and her general health, she may receive three chemotherapy treatments before surgery, and three afterwards. Chemotherapy before surgery is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

"Women should feel good about either one," says Dr. Diver. "Typically a gynecologic oncologist will make the decision having to do with the details of each patient." Some of these decisions may be influenced by the COVID pandemic. In areas where pandemic cases are not yet under control, doctors may decide to delay surgery and give adjuvant chemotherapy so that patients can avoid the hospital until the risk of COVID-19 is lessened. But many women are advised to have neoadjuvant chemotherapy as the best choice for them regardless. "And thanks to multiple large randomized trials, we know that we have choices for how we sequence those two treatments that have equal clinical outcomes," says Dr. Diver.

Other Changes

Medical offices have taken many other steps to make sure that patients stay safe during COVID:

• When you next see your gynecologic oncologist, for example, you may wait in a car or somewhere else other than the office waiting room until the doctor is ready to see you.
• The waiting room will have fewer seats than usual, or seats roped or taped off.
• Someone on staff will take your temperature before you are taken back for your exam or treatment.
• You will probably have to wear a mask.
• You may be asked to use hand sanitizer.

In fact, your next office visit may not be an office visit at all. Many doctors are urging patients who don't need physical exams to schedule telemedicine appointments, where you will meet with the doctor over a video call and have an opportunity to ask questions about your diagnosis and treatment. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, these telemedicine visits, are an opportunity to go over lab results, get help for side effects, and express any concerns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed medical care in many ways. While additional precautions are now needed to reduce transmission between people, doctors want patients to know that one thing that hasn't changed is the quality of care that cancer patients receive.

 

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