INTRODUCTION
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which
caused the pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-2019), started in
December 2019 in Wuhan city, China, affecting the whole world, causing
the death of thousands of people (1). This pandemic was recognized by
the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020 (2). The first
identified COVID-19 case of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey
was announced by the Ministry of Health on March 11, 2020. As of 18th
December 2020, the World Health Organization reported 73 275 943
confirmed cases, with 1 650 348 deaths from SARS-CoV-2 related disease
(coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]). Of them, 1 955 680 cases and
17 364 deaths have been described in Turkey.
The virus is transmitted to people through airborne droplets by contact
with an infected person or contaminated surface (3). The main clinical
symptoms of the disease are fever, dry cough, fatigue, muscle pain, and
dyspnea. In severe cases, this virus causes deadly pneumonias leading to
acute respiratory failure syndrome (4). Elderly people and patients with
comorbidity are more likely to become infected. In addition, serious
complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are
observed more frequently in these individuals (5). Cancer is a chronic
disease and cancer patients have lower immune systems than other normal
people because of both cancer and the immunosuppressive drugs they take,
which makes them more susceptible to infections (6). Accordingly, we can
say that cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 corona virus are more
risky than other populations. In this context, cancer care was
immediately established as a heath priority by the National Medical
Council and the Ministry of Health.
In one study, the disease was more severe in cancer patients than in
non-cancer patients (7). In another study by Mengyuan Dai et al.,
compared to COVID-19 patients with and without cancer, the mortality
risk is 2.3 times, the need for intensive care units is 2.8 times and
the risk of developing at least one serious or critical symptom is 2.8
times were found higher in cancer patients. However, utilization of
invasive mechanical ventilation was determined higher in patients with
cancer (8).
There has been no proven treatment or vaccine against Coronavirus
pandemic. However, it is known that strong infection control measures
should be taken as the primary intervention to prevent the spread of the
disease (9). As in other countries fighting pandemics, strict measures
are being taken in Turkey. The first of these is to inform the community
with television, newspapers, social media or health care workers.
Measures taken in Turkey include suspension of public transport, closure
of public spaces such as shopping malls, close management of
communities, isolation of infected or suspicious cases. It is very
important that cancer patients, along with people in the community,
comply with the control measures against COVID-19 and this situation is
affected by the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of COVID-19.
The ESMO guidelines regarding the management of cancer patients during
the COVID-19 outbreak, priority should be given to adjuvant therapies in
patients with resected high-risk disease, which is expected to achieve a
significant absolute survival benefit. Similarly, the benefits and risks
of palliative treatments during pandemic should be discussed.
“Treatment holidays”, “Stop and Go”, maintenance and transition to
oral medications, if available, should be considered.
Cancer patients who often have to come to the hospital in this process
are at increased risk of transmission. At the same time, their mortality
and morbidity increase due to the impact of their immunity in relation
to the treatments they receive. Due to these risks, it is very important
that cancer patients survive this period with minimal damage. In order
to comply with the pandemic measures of patients and also to increase
compliance with cancer treatment, it is necessary to properly implement
the measures and to be properly informed by the primary physicians of
the patients about the risks associated with cancer treatment. In this
study, we aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes and
practices about COVID-19 cancer patients who were followed in our clinic
during this period when the COVID-19 outbreak was rising rapidly in our
country. At the same time, this study will allow our patients to be
reininformed and corrected about incomplete or misobtained information.