COVID-19 Pandemic

Browsing: COVID-19 Pandemic

The latest news effecting cancer patients and oncology service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic

Study finds paediatric cancer patients at no greater risk of severe COVID-19 infection

By ONA Editor on December 17, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Paediatric Oncology & AYA

Results from the first national study of children with cancer who test positive from COVID-19 has found that these patients do not appear to be at any increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection compared to healthy children. Led by the University of Birmingham, UK, the study analysed the severity of COVID-19 infection in children with cancer. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, results found that the majority of patients either had mild infections or were asymptomatic. No patients died from COVID-19 and only 5% required intensive care support. Launched in April, the UK Paediatric Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project was set…

Cancer survivors at higher risk of hospitalisation or dying from flu

By ONA Editor on December 2, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Survivors from a wide range of cancers are more likely than people in the general population to be hospitalised or die from seasonal influenza even several years after their cancer diagnosis, according to new data published in EClinicalMedicine. Given that flu and COVID-19 are both epidemic respiratory viruses with broadly similar risk factors, the findings suggest that cancer survivors are also likely to be at raised risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. With over two million cancer survivors in the UK, the researchers say their results highlight that this group may need to be prioritised for vaccination against both diseases. In the…

COVID-19: Fall in cancer drug treatment rose quickly following ‘rapid’ NHS guidance

By ONA Editor on December 2, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

The number of patients starting anticancer therapies dropped by more than 30 per cent in April, the month following the UK’s first COVID-19 lockdown, but went above pre-pandemic levels within three months, finds a new study of NHS England data co-led by UCL researchers. The analysis, published in The Lancet Oncology, assessed the number of registrations to initiate systemic anticancer treatment recorded per month in April, May, and June 2020, against the mean number of monthly registrations in the pre-lockdown ‘control period’ of September 2019 to February 2020. This information is recorded on the NHS England Prior Approval system. For April,…

Cancer treatment could be replicated for COVID-19

By ONA Editor on November 9, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Treatment and Support

Beta-blockers could potentially be used to treat COVID-19, according to a new international study by Italian and Australian scientists. University of South Australia cancer researcher, Dr. Nirmal Robinson, working with a team in Naples, has found evidence in animal models that the beta-blocker Propranolol helps suppress the spread of cancer in the lung which has an inflammatory profile very similar to COVID-19. The scientists have presented their findings in a paper published in Frontiers in Immunology, calling for clinical trials to support their research. Dr. Robinson, head of the Cellular-Stress and Immune Response Laboratory at the Center for Cancer Biology, says Propranolol…

Case study details leukaemia patient who shed infectious SARS-CoV-2 for at least 70 days

By ONA Editor on November 9, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Haematology, Latest News, Leukaemia

The majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 appear to actively shed infectious virus for about 8 days, but there is a wide range of variability from person to person. Understanding how long people can remain actively infected is important, because it provides new details about a disease and a virus that are still not well understood and informs public health decisions. Researchers report in the journal Cell an unusual case of one woman with leukaemia and a low antibody count who was infected with the coronavirus for at least 105 days, and infectious for at least 70, while remaining asymptomatic the entire…

Every month delayed in cancer treatment can raise risk of death by around 10%

By ONA Editor on November 6, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Editor's Choice, Treatment and Support

People whose treatment for cancer is delayed by even one month have in many cases a 6 to 13% higher risk of dying—a risk that keeps rising the longer their treatment does not begin—suggests research published online in The BMJ. Canadian and UK researchers found there was a significant impact on a person’s mortality if their treatment was delayed, whether that be surgical, systemic therapy (such as chemotherapy), or radiotherapy for seven types of cancer. Globally, health systems have problems with cancer treatment delays and it is already widely accepted that such delays can have adverse consequences on a patient’s outcome. But the…

75 per cent drop in UK urgent lung cancer referrals during lockdown say experts

By ONA Editor on October 23, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Lung Cancer, Screening & Prevention

The number of people urgently referred to a lung cancer specialist dropped by 75 percent during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, says a new report published today (21st October 2020) by the UK Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC). Fear of engaging with health services, halting the national programme of lung cancer screening pilots, and restricted access to diagnostic tests have all contributed to a drop in urgent two-week wait GP referrals in England,” says Professor Mick Peake OBE, chair of the UKLCC’s Clinical Advisory Group According to NHS England, there were 62,461 two-week wait lung cancer referrals in 2019-20.2 Government…

Study offers global review of impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment and research

By ONA Editor on October 12, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Treatment and Support

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of cancer care and research- from introducing new risks for cancer patients to disrupting the delivery of cancer treatment and the continuity of cancer research, a review of scientific literature shows. The report, by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA, and other institutions, suggests that while COVID-19 has complicated the treatment of cancer patients, it has also spurred creative solutions to challenges in clinical care, and research into the new disease is benefiting from insights gained over years of cancer research. While much remains to be learned about the intersection of cancer and COVID-19,…

New Data Shows Live Saving Cancer Screening Participation at Risk during COVID

By ONA Editor on October 10, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Screening & Prevention

Cancer Council has issued a call for Australians to act now to get up to date with their bowel, breast and cervical screening following data that shows fewer Australians are screening in 2020 than previous years. The report, Cancer Screening and COVID-19 in Australia, released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, has shown that between January to June 2020 there was 144,982 fewer mammograms and 443,935 fewer cervical screening tests have been completed, and from January to July 144,379 fewer bowel screening tests returned, compared with previous years.* Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said, “The Australian Government…

Breast cancer won’t wait for COVID-19

By ONA Editor on October 8, 2020 Breast Cancer, Commentary, COVID-19 Pandemic

Women aged 50 to 74 in NSW are being encouraged to make their health a priority this Breast Cancer Awareness Month and book a free life-saving mammogram. Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow says early detection is key to giving women the best chance of survival. Finding breast cancer early reduces the likelihood of needing invasive treatment, such as mastectomy or chemotherapy. “Breast screens can detect cancer as small as a grain of rice. Our research shows that women who receive a diagnosis as a result of regular breast screening are less likely…

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