Ethical Dilemmas in the Management of Head and Neck Cancers in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Rahim Dhanani; Muhammad Wasif; Hamdan Ahmed Pasha; Shayan Khalid Ghaloo; Muntazir Hussain; Abdul Basit Shah Vardag

doi:10.4274/tao.2022.2021-11-7

Ethical Dilemmas in the Management of Head and Neck Cancers in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Turk Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Mar;60(1):42-46. doi: 10.4274/tao.2022.2021-11-7. Epub 2022 May 12.

Authors

Rahim Dhanani¹, Muhammad Wasif¹, Hamdan Ahmed Pasha², Shayan Khalid Ghaloo³, Muntazir Hussain⁴, Abdul Basit Shah Vardag³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Ziauddin University & Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
² Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Fellow Head & Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Boston, USA.
³ Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University & Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Cancer Foundation Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as an unforeseen challenge for head and neck cancer care providers. A similar challenge is also faced by other oncological fields, but the severity of this challenge is highest in otolaryngology because of the need for additional precautionary measures and curbs on the possibility of aerosol forming interventions related to the upper aerodigestive tract. In this narrative review, provision of ethical and consistent care on moral and professional grounds to head and neck cancer patients during the pandemic are discussed for professionals who provide head and neck oncology care.

Keywords: COVID-19; ethics; head and neck cancer; otorhinolaryngology; pandemics.

Publication types

Review