Skip to Content. This post was last updated February 12, It was first published on March 20, Richard Schilsky. Individual names were not used in connection with preparing these FAQs. ASCO represents nearly 45, oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. This information is provided for educational purposes only, and is not a substitution for consultation with your treating physician or other health care professional. Please talk with your doctor about all individual cancer care decisions.
The primary role of the immune system is to help fight off infection. Individuals with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of getting infections, including viral infections such as COVID There are many reasons that a person might be immune compromised: health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, older age, or lifestyle choices such as smoking can all contribute to weakened immune systems.
Patients with cancer may be at greater risk of being immune compromised depending on the type of cancer they have, the type of treatment they receive, other health conditions, and their age.
The risk of being immune compromised is typically highest during the time of active cancer treatment, such as during treatment with chemotherapy. There is no specific test to determine if a person is immune compromised, although findings such as low white blood cell counts or low levels of antibodies also called immunoglobulins in the blood likely indicate an immune compromised state.
It appears that patients with cancer and survivors of cancer may be at higher risk of health complications from COVID This is not surprising given that this group of individuals is often immune compromised.
There is emerging evidence that patients with hematological malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, have a greater risk of infection and complications than patients with other cancer diagnoses. There is also evidence that patients with progressing cancer when they are diagnosed with COVID may be at higher risk of death or serious health complications compared with those with disease in remission. This evidence is summarized in a different Cancer.
Net Blog post. To date, limited evidence is available to suggest that any cancer treatments raise your risk for getting COVID any more or less than anyone else who is exposed to the virus.
There is some evidence that patients with cancer may experience more serious COVID infection if they acquire it, likely because cancer and cancer treatment can contribute to weakened immune systems which can then lead to a reduced ability to fight off infections.
Emerging evidence suggests that patients with lung cancer who received chemotherapy within 3 months of a COVID diagnosis are at higher risk of dying from the infection. Patients who are getting treatment for cancer also interact with the health care system more frequently than the general population, so more exposure in that setting may contribute to a higher risk of getting an infection, but that is not known with certainty at this point, and most health-care facilities follow U.
Patients are advised to speak with their cancer care team about whether non-essential clinic visits can be skipped, re-scheduled, or conducted by telephone or videoconferencing.
Keep in mind, however, that skipping a treatment for cancer because of concerns about the risk of infection with COVID is a serious decision and something that should be discussed with your oncologist.
It is not clear at this point if cancer patients who have received chemotherapy or radiation in the past are at increased risk for COVID The risk of infection may depend, in part, on the specific treatment received, the type of cancer treated, and how much time has passed since the treatment was completed. Patients who are immunocompromised are also at higher risk. When the body's white blood cells, which fight infections, are low or do not function well, the body is unable to fight infections effectively.
Immunocompromised patients may include patients with cancer and those who are on chemotherapy. It can also include patients with HIV, transplant patients, patients who are on immunosuppressive medication or patients with other known immunodeficiencies.
A recent Chinese study of patients with cancer who had COVID showed that patients who underwent chemotherapy or surgery in the past month had a higher risk compared to those who had not received recent treatment. The risk appears to be higher in patients with more than one chronic medical condition. Patients who are undergoing active treatment for cancer are presumably at higher risk than those who are in remission.
Those who are beyond one year after transplantation and are still considered to be immunocompromised may remain at an elevated risk for complications. Our primary focus and interest in this challenging time is to continue to provide the same high quality of care that you have come to expect from us. In an effort to do this, we have been working closely with our experts in infectious disease at UCSF to modify our policies for care and creation of safe physical environments. Some of the things you will notice include the following:.
Our Cancer Center teams are contacting patients prior to their appointments to ask questions to determine if they have any symptoms, such as a new cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches or fever. Other less common symptoms can include sore throat, runny nose, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loss of taste or smell, and conjunctivitis. We also inquire about potential exposure to patients who may have tested positive for COVID, live in congregate housing, or have traveled within the last 14 days.
We are also converting in-person visits to telemedicine visits via video conferencing whenever it is appropriate. As many states begin to reopen and patients return for care, prompt access to our providers is more important now than ever, to avoid any further delays in care.
We are here for you, providing rapid access to cancer center providers via the following modalities:. If you will present in person, please be aware that we will not be allowing any visitors, except for special circumstances.
To abide by social distancing if your loved one is home, ask if you can help them with things from a distance such as taking their trash cans to the curb or doing their grocery shopping and leaving the bags at the door. The cancer journey is difficult at any time, but it is especially hard during a worldwide pandemic. However you choose to support your loved one going through cancer, know that simply being there for them is one of the greatest things you can do!
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