Despite pandemic shutdowns, cancer does not take a break

If someone is diagnosed with cancer, he stressed, “There is no need to postpone treatment. If a woman has cancer in a breast, it must be removed and she should go to a hospital where she can be safely treated.”

Dr. David E. Cohn, chief medical officer at Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, said we saw “a significant decrease in new patients in the first few months of the pandemic. Even some patients with symptoms were afraid to come in or couldn’t even see their doctor because the offices were closed. This could lead to delayed diagnosis, more complex care, and possibly a poorer outcome. “

But he said his center has since returned to baseline, suggesting that despite the surge in Covid-19 cases, few cancer patients remain undetected and untreated.

“We have made creative adjustments to Covid,” to maximize patient safety, said Dr. Cohn in an interview. “For certain types of cancer, we did not operate on patients in advance, but first treated them with radiation and chemotherapy and operated later,” when the hospital facilities and staff were less stressed and the patients could be better protected from the virus.

Dr. Cohn said that certain types of supportive care can be offered remotely to cancer patients and their families – even genetic counseling, when a DNA sample is sent in. However, he added, “The majority of cancer treatment must be done in person. Monitoring cancer patients is best done through face-to-face visits. “

Now that the virus is growing across the country, many medical centers could be forced to re-restrict elections that are not considered urgent. Dr. However, Sleckman said, “Cancer treatment is not optional – it is urgent and should not be delayed.”

Learning that one has cancer, even if it is early and potentially very curable, can affect a person’s ability to cope with adversity, even more so when the diagnosis is made amid an already very stressful and frightening pandemic.