• Daniela Alterio, Stefania Volpe, Giulia Marvaso, Irene Turturici, Annamaria Ferrari, Maria Cristina Leonardi, Roberta Lazzari, Massimo Sarra Fiore, Giammaria Bufi, Federica Cattani, Camilla Arrobbio, Filippo Patti, Alessia Casbarra, Iacopo Cavallo, Fabrizio Mastrilli, Roberto Orecchia, and Barbara Alicja Jereczek-Fossa.
• Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
• Head Neck. 2020 Jul 1; 42 (7): 1482-1490.

BackgroundManagement of head and neck cancers (HNC) in radiation oncology in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era is challenging. Aim of our work is to report organization strategies at a radiation therapy (RT) department in the first European area experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe focused on (a) dedicated procedures for HNC, (b) RT scheduling, and (c) health care professionals' protection applied during the COVID-19 breakdown (from March 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020).ResultsApplied procedures are reported and discussed. Forty-three patients were treated. Image-guided, intensity modulated RT was performed in all cases. Median overall treatment time was 50 (interquartile range: 47-54.25) days. RT was interrupted/delayed in seven patients (16%) for suspected COVID-19 infection. Two health professionals managing HNC patients were proven as COVID-19 positive.ConclusionAdequate and well-timed organization allowed for the optimization of HNC patients balancing at the best of our possibilities patients' care and personnel's safety.© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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