Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Aug 26, 2020; 8(16): 3390-3404
Published online Aug 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i16.3390
Management of cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic at developing countries
Jaime González-Montero, Guillermo Valenzuela, Mónica Ahumada, Olga Barajas, Luis Villanueva
Jaime González-Montero, Guillermo Valenzuela, Mónica Ahumada, Olga Barajas, Basic and Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago 70058, Chile
Mónica Ahumada, Basic and Clinical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinico Universidad de Chile and Clínica Dávila, Chile
Olga Barajas, Basic and Clinical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinico Universidad de Chile and Fundación Arturo López-Pérez, Chile
Luis Villanueva, Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile and Fundación Arturo López-Perez, Chile
Author contributions: González-Montero J and Valenzuela G wrote the paper; Ahumada M, Barajas O and Villanueva L contributed with collected data and references.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jaime González-Montero, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Doctor, Basic and Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago 70058, Chile. jagonzalez@ug.uchile.cl
Received: May 12, 2020
Peer-review started: May 12, 2020
First decision: August 8, 2020
Revised: August 9, 2020
Accepted: August 12, 2020
Article in press: August 12, 2020
Published online: August 26, 2020
Abstract

Cancer patient care requires a multi-disciplinary approach and multiple medical and ethical considerations. Clinical care during a pandemic health crisis requires prioritising the use of resources for patients with a greater chance of survival, especially in developing countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 crisis has generated new challenges given that cancer patients are normally not prioritised for admission in critical care units. Nevertheless, the development of new cancer drugs and novel adjuvant/neoadjuvant protocols has dramatically improved the prognosis of cancer patients, resulting in a more complex decision-making when prioritising intensive care in pandemic times. In this context, it is essential to establish an effective and transparent communication between the oncology team, critical care, and emergency units to make the best decisions, considering the principles of justice and charity. Concurrently, cancer treatment protocols must be adapted to prioritise according to oncologic response and prognosis. Communication technologies are powerful tools to optimise cancer care during pandemics, and we must adapt quickly to this new scenario of clinical care and teaching. In this new challenging pandemic scenario, multi-disciplinary work and effective communication between clinics, technology, science, and ethics is the key to optimising clinical care of cancer patients.

Keywords: Cancer, Oncology, Pandemic, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2

Core tip: Pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) create new challenges in care of cancer patients, what makes necessary adapt the resources to be used, and consider the risk-benefit balance of cancer therapies. This review establishes a perspective on how COVID-19 pandemic affect cancer patients, and a proposal for managing these patients at developing countries.