Should cancer treatment be continued during the COVID-19 pandemic? A single Egyptian institution experience

Enas A Elkhouly; Radwa H Salem; Mahmoud Haggag

doi:10.3332/ecancer.2020.1077

Should cancer treatment be continued during the COVID-19 pandemic? A single Egyptian institution experience

Ecancermedicalscience. 2020 Jul 23:14:1077. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2020.1077. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Enas A Elkhouly¹, Radwa H Salem², Mahmoud Haggag³

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, 23511, Egypt.
² Microbiology Department, Liver Institute, Menoufia University, 23511, Egypt.
³ General Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, 23511, Egypt.

Abstract

The first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Egypt was reported on 14 February, 2020. Menoufia Clinical Oncology Centre is at the forefront of delivering care to patients with cancer during this public health crisis in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. This article highlights the unique circumstances and challenges of cancer treatment during this global pandemic and the importance of organisational structure, preparation and a shared vision for continuing to provide cancer treatment to patients in the face of uncertainty and rapid change.

Keywords: COVID-19; cancer patients; cancer treatment be continued; pandemic.