Running a Radiation Oncology Department at the Time of Coronavirus: An Italian Experience

Krengli, Marco; Ferrara, Eleonora; Mastroleo, Federico; Brambilla, Marco; Ricardi, Umberto

doi:10.1016/j.adro.2020.03.003

Cited by 64 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In the midst of their own emergencies, oncology departments from Italy, Taiwan, and China shared their processes, including expanded PPE use, staff reorganization, screening of patients as well as staff, and triage procedures. [66][67][68][69][70][71] After Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, experts created a framework centered on measures to "prepare, communicate, operate, compensate" to mitigate the medical impact of a disaster. 72 With the current global magnitude of the crisis and the immediate challenges of testing and PPE shortages in the United States, telemedicine has been the backbone of our strategy to protect against infection and continue the fight against cancer.…”

Section: Present/future Challenges For Telemedicine During the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind”—A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer

Kang

Wong

Sherman

et al. 2020

Cancer

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Because of the national emergency triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, government‐mandated public health directives have drastically changed not only social norms but also the practice of oncologic medicine. Timely head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment must be prioritized, even during emergencies. Because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 predominantly resides in the sinonasal/oral/oropharyngeal tracts, nonessential mucosal procedures are restricted, and HNCs are being triaged toward nonsurgical treatments when cures are comparable. Consequently, radiation utilization will likely increase during this pandemic. Even in radiation oncology, standard in‐person and endoscopic evaluations are being restrained to limit exposure risks and preserve personal protective equipment for other frontline workers. The authors have implemented telemedicine and multidisciplinary conferences to continue to offer standard‐of‐care HNC treatments during this uniquely challenging time. Because of the lack of feasibility data on telemedicine for HNC, they report their early experience at a high‐volume cancer center at the domestic epicenter of the COVID‐19 crisis.

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Section: Present/future Challenges For Telemedicine During the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind”—A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer

Kang

Wong

Sherman

et al. 2020

Cancer

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“…11 12 They include an accurate triage to identify positive or suspected cases; the limited access to the radiotherapy department; paying careful attention to respect social distancing; and the availability of sanitising devices and personal protection equipment (PPE) (box 1, bullet points 6). 13 All radiation oncology professionals (including physicians, therapists, medical physicists and nurses) must be properly trained and periodically updated about the clinical characteristics of covid-19, the risks of professional exposure, the correct use of PPE, and the available prevention and protection measures.…”

Section: Continuedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiation therapy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic in Italy: a view of the nation's young oncologists

et al. 2020

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“…[5]. A policy of bracelets for screened patients was followed by Italian centers [8]. In certain centers in Washington, thermal scanners were installed in entrances [9].…”

Section: Screeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Review on the Working of a Radiation Oncology Facility During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Adapting it for South Asian Settings

Haresh

Izzuddeen

Gupta

et al. 2020

Asian Pac J Cancer Care

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Background: With the pandemic gaining a firm foothold globally, various governments world-wide are trying hard to halt its unprecedented spread. The pandemic is challenging the healthcare professionals in unique ways and forcing the frontline fighters to come up with dynamic changes in almost all disciplines of medical science. This article is aimed at a detailed review of the exist-ing guidelines for radiotherapy practice during this pandemic from across the world. Methods: This review has been organised under specific subheadings that pertains to the functioning of a Radiation Oncology facility in South Asian countries like India. After a detailed Zoom video conference between the authors, it was decided to focus the review under the following sub-headings: staff allocation, staff education, screening of patients, patient waiting area modifica-tion, patient selection, radiotherapy planning and execution, review of patients on radiotherapy, brachytherapy, inpatient admissions, follow up, resident training and treatment of suspected or positive COVID 19 patients.Results: After discussion among the authors, a consensus working suggestion during the COVID-19 pandemic has been proposed for a radiotherapy center in a South Asian country like India. All the authors worked simultaneously on a Google doc docu-ment to develop this manuscript. Conclusions: This paper can be a reference document for the functioning of a radiotherapy facility during the COVID19 pandemic. As the infrastructure of different institutes vary and so does each patient, the importance of fine tuning and tailoring our final decisions before treating a patient in this unprecedented crisis cannot be undermined.

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Running a Radiation Oncology Department at the Time of Coronavirus: An Italian Experience

Cited by 64 publications

References 2 publications

The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind”—A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer

The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: “Be safe, be smart, be kind”—A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer

Radiation therapy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic in Italy: a view of the nation's young oncologists

A Comprehensive Review on the Working of a Radiation Oncology Facility During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Adapting it for South Asian Settings

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