1. Patients with cancer in the COVID-19 era: the clinical trial issue
- Author
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Giuseppe Mario Ludovico, Alba Fiorentino, Marcello Scarcia, and Angela Fortunato
- Subjects
Cancer Research ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Concordance ,Pneumonia, Viral ,Physical examination ,Medical Oncology ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,Betacoronavirus ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Neoplasms ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Intensive care medicine ,Pandemics ,Protocol (science) ,Clinical Trials as Topic ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,COVID-19 ,Cancer ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Discontinuation ,Clinical trial ,Oncology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Coronavirus Infections ,business ,Blood sampling - Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospital reorganization may result in reduced ability for the hospital to fully use its armamentarium for battling cancer. Thus different therapeutic modalities have been recommended. During the pandemic, despite regulatory agencies’ recommendations, several considerations and doubts remain for oncologic clinical trials. Considering patients who had been enrolled before the pandemic, and who plan to take the study medication, the situation becomes complicated. These patients should undergo monitoring visits, blood sampling, questionnaire, physical examination, and drug and radiation administration. To avoid deviations from the protocol and trial discontinuation, follow-up should be performed regularly, in concordance with safety guidelines. Here we report several considerations.
- Published
- 2020
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