COVID-19

Today, we passed the mic to Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, who moderated a discussion on a multi-institutional registry that has been created to capture data from healthcare professionals on patients with cancer who have suspected or confirmed diagnoses of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Joining Dr. Grivas is Jeremy L. Warner, MD, MS, as well as Ali R. Khaki, MD.

Giorgio Vittorio Scagliotti, MD, PhD, discusses the state of the healthcare system in Italy amongst the COVID-19 outbreak, techniques being implemented to "flatten the curve," and his outlook on the future after the pandemic.

As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to grow, oncologists from all over the world are working together to stay informed on the latest developments, participate in pivotal research efforts, develop potentially life-saving medications, and share personal experiences faced in practice to ultimately improve patient care.

Brian I. Rini, MD, highlights the Uromigos podcast efforts to educate other oncologists on how COVID-19 will shift their practice, as well as adapting to changing procedures in clinic to continue delivering optimal care for patients with cancer during the pandemic.

Petros Grivas, MD, discusses the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncology practice patterns and the importance of contributing to the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium Registry.

Omid Hamid, MD, discusses ongoing efforts to quell the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefits of telemedicine, and promising research being done to combat the virus.

Toni K. Choueiri, MD, highlights the changes he has observed in clinical practice amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the unified approach being taken at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Anees B. Chagpar, MD, MBA, MPH, FACS, FRCS(C), discusses the importance of taking proactive measures to prevent the spread of the novel 2019 coronavirus.

Due to COVID-19, the ASCO Annual Meeting will now occur using a virtual format.

Thomas G. Martin, MD, discusses the risk of COVID-19 to patients with cancer and precautionary measures implemented by the the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) medical director of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Research Unit, co-director of the Santa Monica-UCLA Outpatient Oncology Practices, and director, Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Program, UCLA, discusses the steps that can be taken to reduce potential exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The FDA has approved the initiation of a double-blind, randomized phase III clinical trial of the oncology supportive care drug tocilizumab for use in combination with standard of care for the treatment of hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Debu Tripathy, MD, professor and chairman, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses known elements of COVID-19.

Experts from ASCO detail the organization's response to the COVID-19 crisis and resources available for its members.

The need to establish preventive procedures that keep pace with the rapid evolution of coronavirus 2019 presents numerous challenges for the oncology field as institutions adapt standard treatment protocols to minimize the risk for virus spread among clinicians and patients alike.

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, discusses case ascertainment bias regarding the coronavirus 2019.

Tocilizumab, a treatment used for adverse events related to cancer therapy, among other indications, is being explored in a phase III trial as a treatment for adult patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, according to Genentech (Roche), the manufacturer of the interleukin-6 receptor antagonist.

Physicians treating patients with cancer may want to consider postponing surgeries or altering therapy plans because of the threat that the coronavirus poses to this population.

Patrick I. Borgen, MD, discusses what is currently known about coronavirus 2019 and unanswered questions that still need to be addressed.

Jeremy L. Warner, MD, MS, discusses the goals of the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium Registry, what other data need to be extrapolated with COVID-19, and how the virus could impact patients with cancer.

Matthew T. Campbell, MD, MS, shares ways to prevent the spread of coronavirus 2019.

As the novel coronavirus continues its rapid global spread, many oncology-based organizations have been forced to make the difficult decision to either cancel or postpone highly anticipated medical conferences.

Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, discusses the potential impact of novel coronavirus on immunocompromised patients.

Segments of the population have apparently rejected the well-documented clinical utility of vaccination for protecting individual and public health. An immediate specific concern is the contentious matter of measles vaccination, which has been well-reported in the lay press.

Several faculty who were on site at the 2020 Miami Breast Cancer Conference touch upon COVID-19.

Patient concern about coronavirus 2019 varies by oncology clinic according to the OncologyLive® advisory board members, who discussed in a recent interview how COVID-19 has guided their patient interactions and what steps they are advising patients to take to protect themselves.

The novel coronavirus spreading across the world represents a distinct challenge for all physicians, especially oncologists who commonly treat patients who have compromised immune systems.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread around the world, several oncology-based organizations are taking precautionary measures to protect physicians and patients alike from infection, including making the decision to postpone, or even cancel, select medical conferences.

Infectious diseases are the second-leading cause of mortality in patients with cancer, whose immune systems are often compromised, so it is essential for providers to keep abreast of the latest developments in the management of coronavirus disease 2019.

Christina Tan, MD, MPH, discusses the potential impact of the novel coronavirus on patients with cancer.