We share your frustration and anxiety about this uncharted territory.
The way doctors treat cancer is changing in real time as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. For people in the SurvivorNet community, it is crucial to consult your physician about making treatment choices. You should also know that oncologists are having a hard time because the guidelines they use are just starting to be set, and, in many cases, protocols simply do not exist. SurvivorNet is closely following the changes in guidelines and will keep you updated as these evolve.
Read More- Anyone caring for cancer patients should follow existing Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines
- Elective surgeries at inpatient facilities should be rescheduled if possible
- To decrease visits to clinics, patients able to switch from IV to oral therapies should do so
- For patients deep in remission, stopping treatment is an option
- In cases of essential surgery, clinicians and patients should make individual decisions
- Consider if home infusion is possible for certain patients
- Like everyone else, cancer doctors are being encouraged to teach people with cancer proper hand washing, hygiene, and guidelines to minimize exposure to sick contacts and large crowds.
- There is no guidance, or evidence, to suggest that N95 masks are required. This may be frustrating and confusing, but at this time, according to ASCO, there is no data on mask use in cancer patients. Basically no good studies have been published, so it’s hard to make formal recommendations. ASCO sort of punts on this one, telling patients and doctors to follow the the government’s general recommendations on mask wear visa vi coronavirus and cancer.
- If you come down with a fever or other symptoms of infection, ASCO says a comprehensive evaluation should be performed, as per usual medical practice. There’s not much more guidance than that.
Confirmed coronavirus cases keep rising within the United States, overwhelming hospitals and cancer centers. However, according to oncologists, treatment for cancer patients will continue, but surgeries and other forms of care may be delayed.
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