How COVID-19 is Changing Ovarian Cancer Treatment.
- Doctors are turning to telemedicine to limit hospital visits
- When surgery can be safely delayed, patients may undergo chemotherapy first
- Patients with advanced-stage disease may not be able to delay treatment
The American College of Surgeons has prepared some guiding principles for doctors as they make decisions on patient care, but adds that these guidelines are not meant to replace thoughtful discussions between doctors and patients.
Read More For ovarian cancer patients with advanced-stage disease, Dr. Geller says, treatment is not something that can be delayed for months. The challenge, currently, is "deciding which patients actually have to go to the operating room right away, and which patients could possibly undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy," a medical term for chemotherapy given prior to surgery. "After that, we're making decisions about how to manage patients who are immunosuppressed throughout their chemotherapy." But the number-one thing, she says, is to take them out, or keep them out, of the hospital setting. "The key here is communication,” Dr. Geller says. She and her colleagues are using teleconferencing and virtual meetings as much as possible. And, while telehealth will never completely replace an in-person physical exam, Dr. Geller has found it’s a great way to monitor patients, while also keeping them safe.
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