Dr. Lavery on Cancer Care in Ireland Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anita Lavery, MD, MRCP, a medical oncology registrar at Queen’s University Belfast, discusses the current state of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.

Clinical cancer research and trials in Ireland have continued, and cancer treatments are currently being administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lavery says. However, there is still a pressing need to protect this patient population with cancer from disease exposure, as well as to prioritize them for care, as normal medical services begin to resume, Lavery adds.

Providers should encourage patients to go to the hospital if they start exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, according to Lavery. Providing reassurance that hospitals are a safe environment for patients with cancer is of the utmost importance, Lavery concludes.