Considerations for the treatment of pancreatic cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: the UK consensus position

Jones, C. M. et al. (2020) Considerations for the treatment of pancreatic cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: the UK consensus position. British Journal of Cancer, 123(5), pp. 709-713. (doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-0980-x) (PMID:32641867) (PMCID:PMC7341025)

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic epicentre has moved to the USA and Europe, where it is placing unprecedented demands on healthcare resources and staff availability. These service constraints, coupled with concerns relating to an increased incidence and severity of COVID-19 among patients with cancer, should lead to re-consideration of the risk-benefit balance for standard treatment pathways. This is of particular importance to pancreatic cancer, given that standard diagnostic modalities such as endoscopy may be restricted, and that disease biology precludes significant delays in treatment. In light of this, we sought consensus from UK clinicians with an interest in pancreatic cancer for management approaches that would minimise patient risk and accommodate for healthcare service restrictions. The outcomes are described here and include recommendations for treatment prioritisation, strategies to bridge to later surgical resection in resectable disease and factors that modify the risk-benefit balance for treatment in the resectable through to the metastatic settings. Priority is given to strategies that limit hospital visits, including through the use of hypofractionated precision radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy treatment approaches.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jamieson, Professor Nigel and Grose, Dr Derek and Good, Mr James
• Authors: Jones, C. M., Radhakrishna, G., Aitken, K., Bridgewater, J., Corrie, P., Eatock, M., Goody, R., Ghaneh, P., Good, J., Grose, D., Holyoake, D., Hunt, A., Jamieson, N. B., Palmer, D. H., Soonawalla, Z., Valle, J. W., Hawkins, M. A., and Mukherjee, S.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
• Journal Name: British Journal of Cancer
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 0007-0920
• ISSN (Online): 1532-1827
• Published Online: 08 July 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Cancer Research UK
• First Published: First published in British Journal of Cancer 123(5): 709-713
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy