COVID-19 and Its Impact on Cancer Patient’s Outcome and Cancer Research

Abstract

The current coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the health care system in India and all around the world. All aspects of cancer care, including screening, investigations, treatment, clinical trials and research, have been affected as resources are diverted to combat the pandemic. Cancer patients are more susceptible to infections due to their immunocompromised status, either due to disease or therapy, and subsequently, this may result in in poor outcome, especially in case of coronavirus infection. Multiple studies have shown adverse impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients in form of higher mortality with haematological malignancy being worst affected, and interval between last oncological treatment and infection playing an important role in affecting the prognosis. Impact on clinical trials in oncology has been severe. Enrolment has decreased significantly, many trials have been suspended, and ongoing trials are facing problems with patient evaluations leading to impact on quality of data being generated. Telemedicine is now being used to overcome some of these problems but it has its own limitations and should be used judiciously. The pandemic has given us an opportunity to look into the shortcomings of our cancer care system and to find out ways to overcome them.