How we treat patients with brain tumour during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: ESMO open Vol. 4; no. Suppl 2; p. e000789
• Main Authors: Weller, Michael, Preusser, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2019; THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier Limited on behalf of European Society for Medical Oncology; Originally published by BMJ; Elsevier
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - therapy; Brain Neoplasms - virology; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronavirus Infections - complications; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; COVID-19; Humans; Medical Oncology - methods; Medical Oncology - standards; neuro-oncology; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Review; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; neuro-oncology
• ISSN: 2059-7029; 2059-7029
• DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2020-000789

The COVID-19 pandemic has created major insecurities regarding whether we can and should maintain the current standards of diagnosis and treatment and access to care for patients with cancer. This is particularly true in the field of neuro-oncology, where the perceived benefit of therapeutic interventions is often low, although this notion is partially incorrect. We acknowledge that the recommendations for care of patients with cancer have become a moving target and that all recommendations are subject to modification based on national and institutional regulations. Still, some important considerations and proposals may apply broadly. First, it is important to note that old age and cardiovascular and pulmonary co-morbidities are the major risk factors for experiencing a severe course of and for dying of COVID-19, not chronic immunosuppression and cancer. Second, many of the considerations on how we should adapt clinical practice in neuro-oncology in view of COVID-19 that are now dominating discussions at local tumour boards, as well as on the institutional level and within societies of neuro-oncology, are not novel but have been valid before and only now have become a priority. More than ever, it seems to be mandatory to adhere to evidence-based medicine and not to prescribe potentially toxic, notably immunsuppresssive systemic therapy where evidence for efficacy is low. Furthermore, it is more obvious now that oncologists must not miss the right time for advance care planning, that is, supporting patients in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals and preferences regarding future medical care. The major psychological impact of transforming oncology care to teleconferences and videoconferences and of the important strict recommendation of social distancing must not be overlooked in a patient population that is characterised by significant prevalence of cognitive decline and by the general perception that their life span may not exceed the life span of the COVID-19 pandemic