Research Information System
in: Covid 19 Disease From Molecular to Clinical Perspectives, Yıldız Dinçer, Editor, Nova Science Publishers, New York, pp.225-236, 2021
COVID-19 infection in patients with cancer is associated with a significantly increased risk of case fatality. Strategies to reduce the likelihood of infection and improve early identification in this immunocompromised patient population is crutial. Clinicians must balance the risks of delaying cancer treatments versus the risks for SARS-CoV-2 exposure and the potential increased adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients. Physical distancing rules and contact limitation should be essential components of cancer care delivery.Mortality from COVID-19 in cancer patients appears to be principally driven by age, gender, and comorbidities such as diabetes and obesity The likelihood of a severe illness from COVID-19 is higher among patients with lung cancer and hematologic malignancies. There is no identified evidence that cancer patients on cytotoxic chemotherapy or other anticancer treatment are at an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 disease compared with those not on active treatment. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies causıng B cell depletion and lymphopenia may contrubute to the severity of COVID-19 infection. Treatment with immune check-point inhibitors may have the potential to agrevate inflamation in COVID-19 infection and in retrospective chort studies there are conflicting result but there is no clear data for increasing the severity of infection . The management of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients is generally the same as in the general population. Mild cases and asymptomatic infections can be managed conservatively at home.. Agents used specifically for COVID-19 are reserved for patients with severe disease. Clinicians delivering cancer care should have discussions with their patients about goals of care and future care plannings.