Ovarian Cancer And COVID-19: How Has Treatment Changed?

“There are several patients whom we would consider doing a primary debulking surgery for, but given the concerns for operating on patients, potentially those who may have asymptomatic COVID infections, we have chosen to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy for most of those patients and to do an interim debulking surgery,” Dr. Alvarez says.

Despite disruptions in treatment, Dr. Alvarez explains that undergoing debulking surgery before chemotherapy isn’t necessarily the better option for patients. However, it can alleviate symptoms faster if women have a large ovarian mass. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is when chemotherapy drugs are drugs given to cancer patients before surgery as a way to shrink their tumors. Debulking surgery is a procedure for women battling ovarian cancer which removes all visible tumors and can be a lengthy process so shrinking the tumors may help the procedure.

“Most patients who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer unfortunately have an advanced stage disease,” Dr. Alvarez says. “They generally present with abdominal bloating, swelling, [and ] more non-specific urologic symptoms. So many patients during this COVID crisis may be a bit fearful seeking out medical attention if they have those symptoms, and this may ultimately delay the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and delay the onset of treatment for those patients.”

Hospital Protocols Changing Amid COVID-19

Determining when surgery should be done for ovarian cancer patients has become more difficult to decide amid the pandemic, seeing as there might be an increased risk of infection for patients, and also that in some communities hard hit by the virus, hospitals are restricting scheduled surgeries even if doctors feel they are necessary. As many surgeries are being delayed, patients are being advised to connect with their doctors through virtual check-ups, also known as telemedicine. Despite the obstacles, oncologists have reassured the SurvivorNet community that cancer care is still a priority amid the outbreak.

It’s important that patients discuss their own situation with their doctors to decide whether surgery is urgent or if telemedicine is the safest option for the time being.

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