Continuing Cancer Therapy through the Pandemic While Protecting Our Patients: Results of the Implementation of Preventive Strategies in a Referral Oncology Unit

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Cancer patients are vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their treatment has also been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. No solid data exist regarding the appropriate management of cancer patients during the pandemic. Our center, a referral oncology/hematology unit, has implemented specific preventive and screening measures. This study aimed to record the epidemiological characteristics of our patients with cancer that were detected positive for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular testing. Since June 2020, 11,618 patient visits were performed in our unit, and only 26 patients were detected positive for SARS-CoV-2, corresponding to a 0.22% positivity ratio. Among asymptomatic patients committed to begin a new line of systemic therapy, only four were found positive. No transmission within the unit was found after detailed tracing of positive patients. These data will help to update guidelines and recommendations in order to improve cancer care during the current pandemic. ABSTRACT: Cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have worse outcomes, including higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. Protecting this vulnerable group of patients from COVID-19 is of the utmost importance for the continuous operation of an oncology unit. Preventive strategies have been proposed by various societies, and centers around the world have implemented these or modified measures; however, the efficacy of these measures has not been evaluated. In our center, a referral oncology/hematology unit in Athens, Greece, we implemented strict protective measures from the outset of the pandemic in the country and we have prospectively recorded the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19. Among 11,618 patient visits performed in our unit, 26 patients (case-to-visit ratio of 0.22%) were found positive for SARS-CoV-2, including 4 (1%) among 392 patients that were screened before starting primary systemic treatment. Among patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 22 were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis; subsequently, 12 required hospitalization and 5 died due to COVID-19. Detailed contact tracing indicated that there was no in-unit transmission of the infection. Thus, strict implementation of multilevel protective strategies along with a modestly intense screening program allowed us to continue cancer care in our unit through the pandemic.