key: cord-0719499-3iyejqo9
authors: Leite, Fernanda P. M.; Curi, Carla; Sanches, Solange M.; Curado, Maria P.; Fernandes, Gisele A.; Moraes, Samira; Sonagli, Marina; Bussolotti, Raquel; de Andrade, Victor P.; e Silva, Ivan L. A. F.; Makdissi, Fabiana B. A.
title: How to maintain elective treatment of breast cancer during the COVID‐19 pandemic—A cancer center experience
date: 2020-09-28
journal: J Surg Oncol
DOI: 10.1002/jso.26233
sha: c6ccfd9eb87bc100beac0a18acbe260736e6d8a9
doc_id: 719499
cord_uid: 3iyejqo9

nan

Due to the fear of transmission of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many cancer patients have had their diagnosis and treatment affected. 1 Specifically, the rapid spread of the virus has led to a global impact on elective surgical procedures, including cancer centers. 2 Effects of these changes are uncertain, as is the safety of electively operating on patients while the risk of postoperative COVID-19 pneumonia remains unknown. 3 This becomes even more challenging with cancer patients, since delaying their treatment for long periods of time due to the pandemic may worsen prognosis. To prevent both cancer mortality, as well as mortality due to COVID-19, operational efficiency, quick and shared decisions, as well as predictability, are needed. Measures to reduce the circulation of individuals in hospitals and unique attention to patients according to regional and local contagion phases are critical for adequate risk management. It becomes essential to have a plan in place to be able to safely treat patients during the current pandemic. We demonstrate how a cancer center in the largest city in Brazil has managed to maintain the safe treatment of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a retrospective cohort trend study of 

This study was approved by the appropriate institutional 

Recommendations for prioritization, treatment, and triage of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic breast cancer consortium

Cancer management in India during COVID-19

Breast cancer survival in a Brazilian cancer center: a cohort study of 5,095 patients

Breast cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational clinical study of the Breast Surgery Clinic at Ospedale Policlinico San Martino-Genoa

Clinical Practice Guidelines: Breast Cancer

American College of Surgeons. COVID-19 Guidelines for Triage of Breast Cancer Patients

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

All authors are familiar with the contents of the report and agree to its publication.

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.