Management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Canada during the coronavirus pandemic

• Published in: Current oncology (Toronto) Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. e332 - 335
• Main Authors: Sehn, L H, Kuruvilla, P, Christofides, A, Stakiw, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Multimed Inc 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Ambulatory Care - methods; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Appointments and Schedules; Betacoronavirus; Canada - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - complications; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - therapy; COVID-19; Disease Management; Hospitalization; Humans; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous - therapeutic use; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - complications; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - therapy; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - therapy; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pyrazoles - therapeutic use; Pyrimidines - therapeutic use; SARS-CoV-2; Short Communication; Canada; covid-19; Coronavirus; chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• ISSN: 1718-7729; 1198-0052; 1718-7729
• DOI: 10.3747/co.27.6769

The emergence of the covid-19 disease pandemic caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus has required a re-evaluation of treatment practices for clinicians caring for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (cll). The American Society for Hematology (ash) has provided a series of recommendations for the treatment of patients with cll during the pandemic, covering a range of topics, including testing for covid-19, cll treatment initiation and selection, use of immunoglobulin therapy, in-person monitoring, and treatment of patients with cll and covid-19. We summarize the ash recommendations and discuss their applicability as guidelines for the treatment of cll during the covid-19 pandemic in Canada.