The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind” - A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer Editorial


Authors: Kang, J. J.; Wong, R. J.; Sherman, E. J.; Rybkin, A.; McBride, S. M.; Riaz, N.; Tsai, C. J.; Yu, Y.; Chen, L.; Zakeri, K.; Gelblum, D. Y.; Gillespie, E. F.; Cohen, M. A.; Cracchiolo, J. R.; Ganly, I.; Patel, S.; Singh, B.; Boyle, J. O.; Roman, B. R.; Morris, L. G.; Shaha, A. R.; Dunn, L. A.; Ho, A. L.; Fetten, J. V.; Shah, J. P.; Pfister, D. G.; Lee, N. Y.
Title: The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind” - A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer
Abstract: Because of the national emergency triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, government-mandated public health directives have drastically changed not only social norms but also the practice of oncologic medicine. Timely head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment must be prioritized, even during emergencies. Because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 predominantly resides in the sinonasal/oral/oropharyngeal tracts, nonessential mucosal procedures are restricted, and HNCs are being triaged toward nonsurgical treatments when cures are comparable. Consequently, radiation utilization will likely increase during this pandemic. Even in radiation oncology, standard in-person and endoscopic evaluations are being restrained to limit exposure risks and preserve personal protective equipment for other frontline workers. The authors have implemented telemedicine and multidisciplinary conferences to continue to offer standard-of-care HNC treatments during this uniquely challenging time. Because of the lack of feasibility data on telemedicine for HNC, they report their early experience at a high-volume cancer center at the domestic epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis. © 2020 American Cancer Society
Keywords: head and neck cancer; radiation oncology; telemedicine; telehealth; coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19)
Journal Title: Cancer
Volume: 126
Issue: 18
ISSN: 0008-543X
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2020-09-15
Start Page: 4092
End Page: 4104
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33031
PUBMED: 32639615
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC7361524
DOI/URL:
Notes: Note -- Export Date: 1 September 2020 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Ashok R Shaha
    700 Shaha
  2. Daphna Y Gelblum
    228 Gelblum
  3. Jay O Boyle
    148 Boyle
  4. Bhuvanesh Singh
    244 Singh
  5. Snehal G Patel
    417 Patel
  6. Eric J Sherman
    346 Sherman
  7. Nadeem Riaz
    422 Riaz
  8. Nancy Y. Lee
    889 Lee
  9. David G Pfister
    389 Pfister
  10. Richard J Wong
    421 Wong
  11. Luc Morris
    282 Morris
  12. Alan Loh Ho
    242 Ho
  13. Ian Ganly
    433 Ganly
  14. Jatin P Shah
    725 Shah
  15. Benjamin Raphael Roman
    75 Roman
  16. Sean Matthew McBride
    301 McBride
  17. Lara   Dunn
    141 Dunn
  18. Chiaojung Jillian   Tsai
    239 Tsai
  19. Alisa   Rybkin
    9 Rybkin
  20. Marc A Cohen
    140 Cohen
  21. Erin Faye Gillespie
    149 Gillespie
  22. Yao Yu
    117 Yu
  23. Jung Yun Kang
    51 Kang
  24. Linda Chang Chen
    70 Chen
  25. James Vincent Fetten
    29 Fetten
  26. Kaveh Zakeri
    84 Zakeri