COVID-10 Supportive Care in Cancer Resources

Informational Sources Related to Coronavirus, COVID-19

To aid our members during this difficult and uncertain time, MASCC is sharing links to COVID-19 related information, including that related to management of oncology patients.    Our website will be updated as new resources are released or shared with us.   The following resources are intended to guide members to information most useful to them.

 

Information from Groups with an Oncology Focus

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has compiled a wide range of resources to support clinicians, the cancer care delivery team, and patients with cancer.

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) offers personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety information, resources for patient care and support, nursing and professional practice information, and details on ONS's advocacy efforts during the pandemic.

The European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) answers key questions on the pandemic and its impact on cancer care.  The site also offers a list of useful resources. 

CancerCare offers a resources page to help health professionals connect patients and their loved ones with professional support services and practical help. The resources include links to free support groups and community programs.

 

General Information for Healthcare Professionals

For the most up to date general information on the virus and the epidemic, all healthcare workers, including supportive cancer care professionals and researchers, should refer to:


COVID-19-Related Webinars and Workshops for Healthcare Professionals

Note: Some sites, videos, and webinars may require registration or log in credentials

TouchIME, with the support of the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS), offers a FREE panel discussion – “Cancer nursing and managing cancer care during COVID-19.”  This panel of eminent cancer nursing experts from Europe discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cancer care working practices, the need to maintain a healthy workforce, as well as practical measures to support cancer care nurses during the pandemic.

Supportive Care in Cancer During COVID-19: On June 25, 2020, a panel of MASCC experts led a virtual discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts cancer patients and how healthcare professionals can support them during the pandemic. Topics included the next steps after the crisis is resolved; precautions to take in the months ahead with a potential second wave; and the impact on oncology research including ongoing and planned clinical trials.

CancerCare Connect is offering a free education workshop on June 15 for people living with cancer, their families, partners, caregivers, friends and health care professionals: The New Coronavirus (COVID-19): Emerging Guidelines for People Living & Coping with Cancer.  Register online at www.cancercare.org/connect. Or, to register and attend via telephone, call 800-813-HOPE (4673).

CancerCare Connect is offering a free workshop - The New Coronavirus (COVID-19): Updated Guidelines for People Coping with Cancer on Monday, April 20.  The workshop is for people living with cancer, their families, partners, caregivers, friends and health care professionals. 

Drs. Prapti Patel, Farrukh Awan, and Ankit Kansagra, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, present “Hematologic Cancers & COVID-19 Roundtable: How to Manage Needs for Imaging Tests & Biopsy, Blood Transfusion, and Growth Factors? What Is the Best Approach to Manage COVID-19 Patients at Home?”

Mike Christian, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada serves on the Task Force on Mass Critical Care.  In this video, “Why Triage? A Battle Plan for COVID-19,” he provides a brief overview regarding 'why triage' and outlines a battle plan to respond to the COVID19 pandemic with the aim to avoid triage if at all possible.

Cardinale Smith, MD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, New York, discusses “What Are the Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Epicenter? Triage, Testing, Telemedicine, and Management of COVID-19 Positive Patients.”

David P. Steensma, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, offers insights and impressions on caring for patients with myeloid malignancies during the COVID-19 crisis in this video:  “COVID-19 Practical Considerations: How Can We Help Patients With Myeloid Malignancies?"

Otis Brawley, MD, a cancer control expert and epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, recently joined the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship to share advice on how health care professionals can best serve cancer patients.  To view the discussion, click here.

John Cole, MD, Chairman of the Hematology and Medical Oncology Department, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, offers a video discussion of "Next Stage of the New Normal Cancer Treatment: Which Patients Get Tested for COVID-19 & How Often? What Is the Role of Antibody Tests? Are There Any Changes to Participation in Clinical Trials?"

Through regular webinars, the Department of Oncology at Lausanne University and Prof. of Nursing Science at University of Lausanne, Switzerland shares their experience and identifies best practices in patient care  during COVID-19 pandemic.  The next webinar is May 7th.  HTTPS://www.onkologiepflege.ch/1/connaissances/news/webinar/ 

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network is offering a free online course, “TALKING TO PATIENTS ABOUT CANCER TREATMENT, RISK FACTORS, AND TREATMENT CESSATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.” This educational program is designed to meet the educational needs of physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and other health care professionals who manage patients with cancer.  To sign up go to: https://education.nccn.org/COVID-19

 

Video

eCancer presents the video Recommendations on treating multiple myeloma patients during the pandemic. Dr. Jens Hillengass, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, USA speaks about his experience in treating multiple myeloma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. He says that the treatment of cancer patients cannot be stopped just because of a pandemic, otherwise the patients will suffer greatly. He further gives recommendations on how doctors can treat multiple myeloma patients during these hard times. (Published Nov. 6)

 

Publications

MASCC presents recent articles from the July edition of the journal, Supportive Care in Cancer,

MASCC members present a recent article from Supportive Care in Cancer, “Uncertainty upon uncertainty: supportive Care for Cancer and COVID-19.”

MASCC members Alexandre Chan, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP, FISOPP, BCPS, BCOP; Fred Ashbury, PhD; Margaret Fitch, PhD; Bogda Koczwara, AM, BM, BS, FRACP, MBioethics, FAICD; and Raymond Chan, PhD, MAppSc, BNurs, RN, MCNSA have recently co-authored the article "Cancer survivorship care during COVID-19—perspectives and recommendations from the MASCC survivorship study group."  The article was published May 25 in the MASCC journal Supportive Care in Cancer.
From the article: The MASCC “Survivorship Study Group sought input from members of the Survivorship Study Group to describe their responses to the impacts of COVID-19 on survivorship care, in the hope of identifying how members and their respective institutions have modified cancer survivorship practices and services during COVID-19 in order to identify major challenges of survivorship care delivery and strategies of addressing them.”

This article explores the ways in which the COVID-19 crisis impacts those who struggle with opioid use disorder (OUD). 40 states are reporting increases in opioid use, including overdose deaths, emergency room visits, and requests for addiction treatment.

Numerous peer-reviewed medical journals have created COVID-19 microsites with free content.  These sites are continuously updated with research and information of interest to supportive cancer care professionals across myriad areas of specialization and expertise.

  • Liebert Portfolio (publisher of Journal of Palliative Medicine) have provided a direct link to access all coronavirus-related research within the Liebert portfolio.
  • SAGE offers free-to-read medical research related to the virus as well as social and behavioral research.
  • The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has provided a collection of free papers.
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has produced a COVID-19 collection, including Q&A's 
  • The British Medical Journal has a page covering of the coronavirus outbreak from across the BMJ's journals and learning resources.
  • The Lancet has created a Coronavirus Resource Centre bringing together content from across The Lancet journals as it is published. All COVID-19 content is free to access.