Ovarian cancer patients are more vulnerable to Covid-19, so extra precautions are necessary.
- In cities that have been hard-hit by the virus, doctors are postponing ovarian cancer surgery until the pandemic has subsided.
- Patients who've already had surgery and are recovering in the hospital are kept in post-op isolation, and not allowed to have visitors.
- Because chemo can weaken the immune system, patients are advised to be extra cautious about socially isolating, sterilizing surfaces, and washing their hands.
Ovarian cancer patients are more vulnerable to the coronavirus, explains Dr. Rabbie Hanna, a gynecologic oncologist with the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. "So we are having to make different types of decisions with patients."
Read More For instance, in hospitals that are overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, “there's a greater chance of catching the virus. So rather than scheduling surgery for women with a confirmed cancer diagnosis (or a diagnosis suspicious for cancer) which we'd do under normal circumstances we are postponing surgery” until the pandemic subsides. "If we did surgery now, even assuming it was successful, there is a high risk of transmitting infection to them while they're recovering in the hospital,” explains Dr. Hanna. “And that would compromise their healing process." Women who are currently in the hospital recovering from surgery are being kept in post-op isolation, where no visitors are allowed. "We didn't make this decision lightly," says Dr. Hanna. We know how hard it can be not to see family or friends when you're recovering from a frightening diagnosis of ovarian cancer. "That was hard on us too."
Patients who’ve undergone surgery and are receiving post-operative chemotherapy are advised to be extra cautious about social distancing, and to wash their hands often, as they may be immunocompromised and more susceptible to infection and complications.
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