COVID-19 and Cancer
Cancer patients constitute a particular group in the entire population.
Since the treatment and follow-up of these patients had to continue,
their constant coming to the hospital increased the risk of
contamination. There wasn’t any other study that demonstrated the
knowledge and attitudes of cancer patients about COVID-19 when we had
planned this study. That is the reason why we thought this kind of study
should be done. Later, a similar study which we observed with pleasure
was conducted by Erdem D. and Karaman İ.(12). In the study by Dilek E.
and Karaman I., a total of 13 questions were prepared and they were
compared with demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education
level. However, our study, as we mentioned before, consists of 25
questions in total and 3 parts. And we calculated the knowledge score to
make the survey more objective. In addition to looking at the knowledge
and attitudes of the patients, cancer patients’ views between COVID-19
and cancer disease were also questioned. Both studies had general
knowledge questions about COVID-19 and generally, knowledge levels were
found to be positively high in both studies. In the study conducted by
Erdem D. and Karaman I., 98% of the patients participating in the
survey did not postpone their cancer treatment (12). In our own study,
we asked patients if they thought about delaying cancer treatments and
half of the patients did not think delaying their treatments.
The majority of the participants thought that their cancer is a
situation that increases the seriousness of this infection if they have
COVID-19 disease. This result has been demonstrated from multiple
studies published about the disease in China. As a result of this study
conducted in China, the mortality rate of patients with COVID-19 and
cancer was about 3-fold higher than those with COVİD-19 without cancer.
However patients with cancer and COVID-19 also tend to have much higher
severity of their illness (8,18). While half of the participants thought
that COVID-19 outbreak did not prevent the treatment of cancer patients
from continuing, 27 % of patients thought that they could block their
treatment. Within the recommendation of current oncology guidelines
(e.g., ESMO, NCCN), in our oncology clinic, we extended the follow-up
care for control patients who did not receive active treatment. We have
arranged the chemotherapy protocols of our patients who receive active
treatment in such a way that they should at least come to the hospital.
When we asked the question of
whether the patients thought about delaying their treatments, 70 % of
the patients did not think delaying their treatments. When asked whether
your oncology doctor informed you about COVID-19 disease, 48.6 % of
patients said they informed us, 42 % said they did not inform us. This
may be because patients are unable to attend their doctor’s appointment
because of the pandemic. In addition, it also shows that as oncology
doctors, we need to focus more on information about COVID-19 in our busy
work. Among our cancer patients surveyed, we found that all of
participants wore masks when they left the house during the outbreak. In
another question we asked about protection from COVID-19, about 95 % of
patients stated they were paying attention to social distance with other
people. CDC recommended that to practice social distancing, stay at
least 6 feet (about two meters) about from other people who are not from
your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces. While majority of the
patients (82.7 %) thought that they took the necessary precautions to
protect against the any disease, 15% stated that they applied
partially. When we asked the question of whether the patients took
additional protective or supportive products because of your cancer
during the outbreak, sixty-one percent of participants expressed that
they did not receive supportive products. There is no miraculous
supplement that protects against COVID-19, which has been cited by the
World Health Organization so far.
We asked about performing follow-up care in cancer patients during the
COVID-19 pandemic period, half of the patients replied, if they do not
have any symptoms, they would prefer to have it done when their doctor
recommends. However about forty percent of patients also stated that
they wanted to have control tests done on time. While half of patients
were concerned about the continuation of cancer treatment during the
outbreak, half of them expressed no concern. The majority of those who
were concerned expressed that they were more afraid of the COVID-19
transmission than disruption of their cancer treatments.This means that
the COVID-19 outbreak has significantly worried cancer patients. But
patients also don’t want their cancer treatments to run out. Therefore,
it is very important that doctors keep in close contact with their
patients.