COVID-19 and Its Impact on Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Management

Shalini Fernando; Mesel Veli; Borzoueh Mohammadi; Andrew Millar; Khurum Khan

doi:10.3390/cancers13030397

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Management

Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jan 21;13(3):397. doi: 10.3390/cancers13030397.

Authors

Shalini Fernando¹, Mesel Veli¹, Borzoueh Mohammadi^{2

3}, Andrew Millar¹, Khurum Khan^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ North Middlesex University Hospital, Sterling Way, London N181QX, UK.
² Department of GI Oncology, University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road, Bloomsbury, London NW1 2BU, UK.
³ UCL Cancer Trials Centre 72 Huntley Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has left dramatic footprints on human health and economy. Cancer, whilst not an infective disease, is prevalent in epidemic proportions and cannot be pretermitted due to the impact of COVID-19. As we emanate from the second national lockdown in the UK with mixed feelings of hope and despair-due to vaccination and new COVID-19 variant, respectively-we reflect on the impact of the first wave on the provision on diagnosis and management of with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers. This review provides a critical analysis of available literature on COVID-19 and its impact on cancer management in general and that of UGI cancers in particular.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-Cov-2; cancer; coronavirus; endosocopy; gastrointestinal.

Publication types

Review