Preliminary Approach to Cancer Patient Care During Unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cancer, a lethal combination is making the work of oncologists more strenuous. To handle both of them simultaneously in a tertiary care cancer center with perspicacious use of limited resources was a real challenge. Standard operating procedures were framed to enforce the social distancing and personal hygiene norms and institution-based checklist for COVID-19 risk categorization was formulated. Hypofractionated radiation regimens, day care chemotherapy, metronomic chemotherapy, supportive care at home and telemedicine were the few preferred options, after weighing risk versus benefit. This will help institutions with similar constraints and expertise to tackle this global emergency with an idiomatic touch.

Clin Infect Immun. 2020;5(3):55-58
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cii113