Cancer Management and Research (Jan 2021)
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Ovarian Cancer Management: Adjusting to the New Normal
Abstract
Lizbeth Soto Jacome,1 Sachin Kumar Deshmukh,2,3 Padmamalini Thulasiraman,1 Nicolette Paolaungthong Holliday,4 Seema Singh2,3,5 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Allied Health, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA; 2Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; 3Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36617, USA; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA; 5Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USACorrespondence: Seema SinghDepartment of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, 1660 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, AL 36604, USATel +1 251-445-9843Fax +1 251-460-6994Email [email protected]: COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As the world faces the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, the oncology community is being impacted by unprecedented challenges. During this trying time, patients with ovarian cancer (OC) have been affected by a delay in diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and oncology follow-ups being conducted via telemedicine instead of in-person visits. OC patients and their oncologists are balancing the fears of COVID-19 and cancer treatment with the consequences of delaying cancer care. The delay in treatment care that women with OC are experiencing has resulted in higher levels of cancer worry, anxiety, and depression. In this article, we succinctly review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment and ongoing clinical trials of OC. We also discuss the psychological effects of COVID-19 on women with OC and alternative therapeutic strategies to limit in-person hospital visits to reduce the spread of the disease, and the impact of COVID-19 on OC patients.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, ovarian cancer management, pandemic, cancer care delay
