JCO global oncology
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JCO global oncology · Jul 2020
Scientia Potentia Est: How the Italian World of Oncology Changes in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
After coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the WHO, a response from the Italian Health System to react to an unprecedented condition became necessary and sudden. The COVID-19 pandemic has required oncologists to redefine clinical organization and patient management. The purpose of our study was to document the difficulties emerging during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Italian oncology. ⋯ Our survey demonstrated the flexibility of oncologic teams. However, the emergency response quality has been heterogeneous, and several drawbacks have emerged from the first analyses investigating how the world of oncology changes in the COVID-19 pandemic. Information, protection, testing, and training of health care professionals are key words that should be kept in mind to encourage recovery after this tragedy and to be ready to face a similar emergency in the future.
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JCO global oncology · Jul 2020
Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Care for Rare Cancers.
Many patients with cancer, often those with rare cancers such as sarcomas, travel long distances to access expert care. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread changes in delivery of cancer care, including rapid adoption of telemedicine-based care. We aimed to evaluate the impact of telemedicine on patients, clinicians, and care delivery at the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) Sarcoma Unit during the pandemic. ⋯ Telemedicine can revolutionize delivery of cancer care, particularly for patients with rare cancers who often live far away from expert centers. Our study demonstrates important patient and clinician benefits; assessment of longer-term impact on patient outcomes and health care systems is needed.