scholarly journals Management of oncology patients receiving anti-cancer treatment in the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esat Namal ◽  
Nur Dinc ◽  
Sezer Saglam ◽  
Ali Vefa Ozturk ◽  
Safiye Koculu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Rna Detection ◽  
Recommended Treatment ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
The World ◽  
Oropharyngeal Swab ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background/Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) has deeply affected life all over the World. The World Health Organization named this disease as COVID-19. The most important factor in the transmission of the disease is asymptomatic carriers. We’ve tested all oncology patients, that receive anti-cancer therapy, for COVİD-19 to prevent asymptomatic oncology patients from spreading infection and to make the decision to postpone chemotherapy in infected patients. Then, we analyzed the clinical and radiological findings of infected patients.Materials and Methods: Oncology patients who have indications of receiving anti-cancer treatment in the hospital were tested for COVID-19, two day prior to their treatment even if they were asymptomatic by collecting nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens for RT-PCR for viral RNA detection. Positive patients, underwent inspiratory phase of chest computed tomography (CT) examination. Infected patients were given the recommended treatment for COVID-19. Anti-cancer treatment of all patients that had positive PCR results was delayed for 14 days.Results: PCR test was positive in 28 of 312 patients that we tested, and the positivity rate was 8.9%. Three patients (10.7%) had symptoms; 2 of whom had dyspnea and cough, and 1 had headache, and 25 patients (89.3%) had no symptoms.Conclusion: In oncology patients, who are receiving anti-cancer treatment, we have to recognize the asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. We recommend testing for COVID-19 in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy, periodically or before each anti-cancer treatment, in order to continue their treatment without any problems and to prevent the risk of transmission.

scholarly journals Single Center Experience on Screening Oncology Patients for Covid-19 Before Anti-Cancer Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-212
Author(s):  
ESAT NAMAL
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Rna Detection ◽  
Asymptomatic Carriers ◽  
Single Center Experience ◽  
Recommended Treatment ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Oropharyngeal Swab

The most important factor in the transmission of the COVID-19 is asymptomatic carriers. We’ve tested all oncology patients , that receive anti-cancer therapy, for COVID-19. We aimed to determine the rate of asymptomatic carriers, and analyze the clinical and ra- diological findings of infected patients. Oncology patients who have indications of receiving anti-cancer treatment in the hospital were tested for COVID-19, two day prior to their treatment even if they were asymptomatic by collecting nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens for RT-PCR for viral RNA detection. Positive patients, underwent inspiratory phase of chest computed tomography examination. Infected patients were given the recommended treatment for COVID-19. PCR test was positive in 28 of 312 patients that we tested, and the positivity rate was 8.9%. Three patients (10.7%) had symptoms, 25 patients (89.3%) had no symptoms. Covid-19 testing before anti-cancer treatment may be recommended in order to continue their treatment without any problems and to prevent the risk of transmission due to the high rate of asymptomatics in infected patients. Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Chemotherapy, Oncology

scholarly journals Bcl-2 Inhibition to Overcome Resistance to Chemo- and Immunotherapy

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilina García-Aranda ◽  
Elisabet Pérez-Ruiz ◽  
Maximino Redondo
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Apoptosis Resistance ◽  
Hallmarks Of Cancer ◽  
Cancer Treatments ◽  
Over Expression ◽  
Promising Strategy ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. The identification of novel targets for cancer treatment is an area of intense work that has led Bcl-2 over-expression to be proposed as one of the hallmarks of cancer and Bcl-2 inhibition as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. In this review, we describe the different pathways related to programmed cell death, the role of Bcl-2 family members in apoptosis resistance to anti-cancer treatments, and the potential utility of Bcl-2 inhibitors to overcome resistance to chemo- and immunotherapy.

Study of the interaction between cisplatin and the Au18(SR)14 cluster: in search of an appropriate cisplatin carrier

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (39) ◽  
pp. 26545-26550 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Palacios-Álvarez ◽  
A. Tlahuice-Flores
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Cisplatin is a well known anti-cancer drug and considered as essential by the World Health Organization. This work has determined that the Au18(SR)14 cluster is a candidate to carry cisplatin molecules.

scholarly journals Special aspects of medical care for cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 2-2
Author(s):  
Mariia Pavlushenko ◽  
Roman Liubota ◽  
Roman Vereshchako ◽  
Nikolay Anikusko ◽  
Irina Liubota
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The biggest challenge for the World Health Organization today is the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The current situation prompted major adjustments in the system of cancer care. In this review, we investigate the aspects of cancer treatment and care during the pandemic, since in this setting oncological services face challenges in determining the feasibility of anticancer treatments while minimizing the risk of infection. Cancer patients are at a higher risk from COVID-19 disease. Therefore, oncological community is discussing on the priorities for providing cancer therapies and care and at the same time minimizing the risk of infection.

scholarly journals Review of the Microbiological Diagnostic Approaches of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ada Melo-Vallès ◽  
Clara Ballesté-Delpierre ◽  
Jordi Vila
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Exponential Increase ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Diagnostic Approaches ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Short Time

On March 12, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic following the exponential increase of SARS-CoV-2 cases. The rapid spread of the virus is due to both its high infectivity and the free circulation of unrecognized infectious cases. Thus, diagnostic testing is a key element to prevent further dissemination of the virus. Urged by WHO's call, laboratories worldwide have been working on nucleic acid tests protocols and immunoassays that became available, albeit poorly validated, within a comparatively short time. Since then, external studies evaluating these diagnostic tests have been published. The present study is a review of the COVID-19 diagnostic approaches, discussing both direct and indirect microbiological diagnoses. A compendium of the literature on commercial assays kits available to date is provided together with the conclusions drawn as well as RT-PCR protocols published by the WHO. Briefly, diagnostic accuracy varies according to time elapsed since symptom onset and evolves together with understanding of the COVID-19 disease. Taking into account all these variables will allow determining the most adequate diagnostic test to use and how to optimize diagnostic testing for COVID-19.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Infant with Negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and Antibodies

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-39
Author(s):  
Hanna Sahhar ◽  
Karly Derwitz ◽  
Erica Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
The World ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Inflammatory Syndrome

Since the declaration of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), there has been an emergence of a new syndrome termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. MIS-C is defined by the presence of fever, systemic inflammation and multiorgan dysfunction in association with SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 exposure. Knowledge of this syndrome’s presentation and pathophysiology is constantly evolving as more cases are reported in the literature. This case identifies a 3-month-old patient who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antigen, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and antibodies but qualified for MIS-C diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge and through extensive research at the time of diagnosing and reporting this condition to the healthcare authorities, we report the youngest pediatric patient with MIS-C diagnosis. We document this case to contribute to further understanding the variable manifestations of MIS-C and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

scholarly journals Do We Really Need Hazard Prevention at the Expense of Safeguarding Death Dignity in COVID-19?

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1913
Author(s):  
Cristoforo Pomara ◽  
Francesco Sessa ◽  
Domenico Galante ◽  
Lorenzo Pace ◽  
Antonio Fasanella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cytopathic Effect ◽  
World Health ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Time Of Death ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Viral Culture ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Test Objective

To date, little is known regarding the transmission risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection for subjects involved in handling, transporting, and examining deceased persons with known or suspected COVID-19 positivity at the time of death. This experimental study aims to define if and/or how long SARS-CoV-2 persists with replication capacity in the tissues of individuals who died with/from COVID-19, thereby generating infectious hazards. Sixteen patients who died with/from COVID-19 who underwent autopsy between April 2020 and April 2021 were included in this study. Based on PMI, all samples were subdivided into two groups: ‘short PMI’ group (eight subjects who were autopsied between 12 to 72 h after death); ‘long PMI’ (eight subjects who were autopsied between 24 to 78 days after death). All patients tested positive for RT-PCR at nasopharyngeal swab both before death and on samples collected during post-mortem investigation. Moreover, a lung specimen was collected and frozen at −80 °C in order to perform viral culture. The result was defined based on the cytopathic effect (subjective reading) combined with the positivity of the RT-PCR test (objective reading) in the supernatant. Only in one sample (PMI 12 h), virus vitality was demonstrated. This study, supported by a literature review, suggests that the risk of cadaveric infection in cases of a person who died from/with COVID-19 is extremely low in the first hours after death, becoming null after 12 h after death, confirming the World Health Organization (WHO) assumed in March 2020 and suggesting that the corpse of a subject who died from/with COVID-19 should be generally considered not infectious.

scholarly journals The US CDC RT-PCR probes for the Wuhan 2019-nCoV are non-specific for SARS - there is a better non-specific 500bp option (21852-22427) within the spike-protein

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Virulent Strain ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
World Health ◽  
Genomic Fragment ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Inconclusive Result ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World ◽  
Significant Homology ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization has declared the Wuhan coronavirus [1–3] outbreak a public health emer- gency on 30th Jan, 2020. An accurate detection of the Wuhan virus is imperative to avoid false positives, since 2019-nCoV [2,3] shares significant homology [4] with other species.On the 24th of Jan, the CDC has published a list of 3 probes (Fig 1) for detecting the 2019-nCoV. Detection of all three probes would give a positive result, while detection of one or two gives an ’inconclusive result’ (and obviously negative when none are found).All 3 probes will have significant homology in other strains (Table 1 and Fig 2 ) - specifically SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). A much more specific option is to look within a 500bp genomic fragment in the N-terminal of the spike protein (Accid:NC 045512.2 [2],21852-22427, SI.cdc:nCoVFULLSLICE.fa), which seems to the most perturbed in this virulent strain [5].It is also important to have a common repository for all countries to be following a similar protocol. Many papers do no provide what PCR was used to detect coronaviruses [6].

scholarly journals Safety of systemic anti-cancer treatment in oncology patients with non-severe COVID-19: a cohort study

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. van Marcke ◽  
N. Honoré ◽  
A. van der Elst ◽  
S. Beyaert ◽  
F. Derouane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Bleeding Events ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Treatment Delays ◽  
Ambulatory Oncology ◽  
Anti Cancer

Abstract Background The viral pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted cancer patient management around the world. Most reported data relate to incidence, risk factors, and outcome of severe COVID-19. The safety of systemic anti-cancer therapy in oncology patients with non-severe COVID-19 is an important matter in daily practice. Methods ONCOSARS-1 was a single-center, academic observational study. Adult patients with solid tumors treated in the oncology day unit with systemic anti-cancer therapy during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium were prospectively included. All patients (n = 363) underwent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) serological testing after the first peak of the pandemic in Belgium. Additionally, 141 of these patients also had a SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test during the pandemic. The main objective was to retrospectively determine the safety of systemic cancer treatment, measured by the rate of adverse events according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients compared with SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. Results Twenty-two (6%) of the 363 eligible patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR and/or serology. Of these, three required transient oxygen supplementation, but none required admission to the intensive care unit. Hematotoxicity was the only adverse event more frequently observed in SARS-CoV-2 -positive patients than in SARS-CoV-2-negative patients: 73% vs 35% (P < 0.001). This association remained significant (odds ratio (OR) 4.1, P = 0.009) even after adjusting for performance status and type of systemic treatment. Hematological adverse events led to more treatment delays for the SARS-CoV-2-positive group: 55% vs 20% (P < 0.001). Median duration of treatment interruption was similar between the two groups: 14 and 11 days, respectively. Febrile neutropenia, infections unrelated to COVID-19, and bleeding events occurred at a low rate in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Conclusion Systemic anti-cancer therapy appeared safe in ambulatory oncology patients treated during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were, however, more treatment delays in the SARS-CoV-2-positive population, mainly due to a higher rate of hematological adverse events.

Knowledge and Awareness-based Survey of COVID-19 in the Eye Care Profession, Facts Sealed Myths. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandip Das Sanyam ◽  
Sanjay Sah ◽  
Pankaj Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Confirmatory Test ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Analysis Of Knowledge

BACKGROUND Analysis of knowledge and awareness in the eye care profession is highly essential amid COVID-19 pandemic, myths have no place in medical research. OBJECTIVE To estimate the effect of myth in knowledge and awareness of eye care. METHODS A qualitative survey, designed by a focused group of researchers, to access the knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 in eye care practitioners. Questions were prepared and sent through an online link. Altogether, 25 questions (both open and closed-ended) were employed in the survey. The overall responses were coded with percentage calculation, and mythological facts were overruled if they persisted with appropriate justification. RESULTS Of the total delivered links, 51% (n=310) participated in the survey. Only 46% of the total participants were aware that COVID-19 is a disease and SARS-CoV-2 as the causative agent. The symptoms of COVID-19 were known to 94%, whereas only 54% were aware that everyone can get infected by SARS-CoV-2. Similarly, 49% of the participants had an idea about the mode of transmission of the disease and only 5% of the participants did not know the abbreviation of PPE. About 17% had no idea regarding RDT and 56% responded to RT-PCR as a confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2. Almost 98% of participants recognized the WHO’s awareness message, but surprisingly 41% participants responded to another question felt that consumption of hot drinks kills the virus (is WHO’s awareness). Social distancing was key to restricting the disease spread; at the same time, about 41% had disagreement regarding PPE usage by eye care practitioners. CONCLUSIONS Eye care professionals seemed to be little behind the expected knowledge and awareness of COVID-19. One is recommended to follow the World Health Organization and National (Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal) guidelines for clinical practice and not to believe in baseless myths devoid of evidence.

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