Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Ovarian Cancer Management: Adjusting to the New Normal

Abstract

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As the world faces the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, the oncology community is being impacted by unprecedented challenges. During this trying time, patients with ovarian cancer (OC) have been affected by a delay in diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and oncology follow-ups being conducted via telemedicine instead of in-person visits. OC patients and their oncologists are balancing the fears of COVID-19 and cancer treatment with the consequences of delaying cancer care. The delay in treatment care that women with OC are experiencing has resulted in higher levels of cancer worry, anxiety, and depression. In this article, we succinctly review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment and ongoing clinical trials of OC. We also discuss the psychological effects of COVID-19 on women with OC and alternative therapeutic strategies to limit in-person hospital visits to reduce the spread of the disease, and the impact of COVID-19 on OC patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cancer care delay; ovarian cancer management; pandemic.

Figure 1

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with ovarian cancer. Hospitals reserved their capacity for handling the flood of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic that resulted in delays in ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition, diagnosis and surgery appointments were canceled. Patients’ hesitation to see doctors for a new symptom or routine screening also affected the diagnosis and monitoring. Further, to decrease the chances of virus spread, alternative oral therapeutic strategies were opted to limit in-person hospital visits. Changes in patient care and support contributed to the increased worry, anxiety, and depression.

Figure 2

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of cancer care. Pandemic has severely impacted the delivery of cancer care. As a result, several adaptive changes have been made to protect both patients and health workers from SARS-CoV2 infection. These changes include new screening procedures such as temperature check and self-assessment questionnaire before entering the facility, enabling social distancing, mandatory use of masks in the work areas, drive through testing and injections, and virtual check-ins and telemedicine.