COVID-19 | Specialty

The OncLive COVID-19 condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted multiple areas of oncology care and practice. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts encompassing data of patients with COVID-19 and cancer, oncology drugs being tested against the virus, vaccine information for patients with cancer, and more.

The Challenging Future of the FDA in the Cancer Arena

October 25th 2021

Maurie Markman, MD, highlights the ongoing regulatory concerns that demand attention of the FDA in the cancer arena amidst evolving issues regarding COVID-19.

Children With Cancer At Higher Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19

October 24th 2021

Approximately 20% of pediatric patients with cancer infected with COVID-19 experienced severe illness and deaths due to the infection were proportionally higher in this patient population compared with the general pediatric population, providing evidence that children with cancer are at higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19.

Abid on Optimizing COVID-19 Vaccines in CAR T-Cell Therapy Recipients

October 21st 2021

Dr. Abid discusses immune-compromising factors that are indigenous to CAR T-cell therapy recipients, the immunogenic potential of different COVID-19 vaccines, determinants of vaccine responses, and the potential need for booster vaccine dosing in this population.

Dr. Abid on the Potential Impact of CAR T-Cell Therapy on COVID-19 Vaccination

October 14th 2021

Muhammad Bilal Abid, MD, MRCP, discusses the potential impact of CAR T-cell therapy on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Future Strategies With Lung Cancer Screening

October 14th 2021

M. Patricia Rivera, MD, a professor of medicine at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, reviews the United States Preventive Services Task Force's lung cancer screening recommendations as of 2021, including the impacted patient populations and effect the recommendations have on direct physician care.

Utilizing Patient-Friendly Pathways in Lung Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment

October 13th 2021

Andrea Borondy Kitts, a lung cancer and patient advocate at Rescue Lung Society, educates physicians on adequate physician-to-patient education and resources that improve their opportunity for success in lung cancer care.

Novel Agents Emerging in the Lung Cancer Pipeline

October 13th 2021

Jacob Sands, MD, a physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, describes the last decade in lung cancer diagnostics and significant therapeutic advances. He also navigates the emerging classes of drugs that are beginning to make headway in the lung cancer pipeline.

What Are the Current Treatment Options in Lung Cancer?

October 13th 2021

Sandip Patel, MD, an associate professor of medical oncology at University of California San Diego, explains the optimal diagnostic strategies that can be utilized to better inform biomarker-based therapies in lung cancer.

Effective Lung Cancer Screening Leads to Opportunities

October 13th 2021

James L. Mulshine, MD, professor of internal medicine, and associate director of Institute of Translation Medicine at Rush University, discusses the benefits of establishing a timely and investigation-informed screening and referral practice for patients who are at risk for developing lung cancer.

Challenges to Scientific Expertise: Future Implications for Oncology

October 12th 2021

The continued uncertainties of the current and future status of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a lack of trust in the authority of the scientific establishment in the United States, and elsewhere, as it operates during these difficult times.

6-Month Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccines Remains Similar in Patients With Solid Tumors Vs General Population

October 2nd 2021

Six months after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, patients with solid tumors retained similar levels of COVID-19 antibodies in their blood as individuals without cancer.

Clinical Trials Prevail Despite the Continued COVID-19 Pandemic

September 27th 2021

Clinical trial enrollments underwent a substantial decrease during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic only to rebound during the winter 2020 to 2021 wave, and primarily affected enrollment to cancer control and prevention trials vs treatment trials.

Dr. Wainberg on the Need for Continued Enrollment to Clinical Trials in CRC

September 20th 2021

Zev A. Wainberg, MD, discusses the importance of enrolling patients with colorectal cancer to clinical trials, despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19.

COVID-19 Continues to Result in High Admission, Fatality Rates Among Patients With CLL

September 18th 2021

COVID-19 continued to result in high admission and fatality rates among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia during the first 13 months of the pandemic, and although risk of severe infection was determined to be independent of age, CLL status, and treatment, being age 75 years or older was revealed to be a significant risk factor for death.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Survey Finds Cancer Patients Support COVID-19 Vaccine & Mask Mandate

August 25th 2021

A survey of more than 6,800 cancer patients conducted this month by Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute found that patients overwhelmingly prefer that the FCS physicians, nurses and staff members who provide their care are vaccinated and wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and provide a safe environment within clinics.

NCCN Calls for Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Workers

August 23rd 2021

The National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network has issued an official statement calling on all healthcare systems to ensure that their workforces are immunized with one of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine

August 23rd 2021

The FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals aged 16 years or older.

Cancer Screenings Recover From Height of COVID-19 Pandemic, But Disparities Remain

August 19th 2021

Chris Labaki, MD, and Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, discuss their research on the decline in cancer screenings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery of these tests, and potential existing disparities to be addressed.

DFCI Faculty Relay Insight Into Confirmed Rebounds of Cancer Screenings After COVID-19

August 19th 2021

Dr. Labaki and Dr. Trinh discuss their research on the recovery of cancer screening tests, its link with potential racial disparities from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the community can continue to emphasize the importance of cancer screening while working to close these disparities in cancer care.

Study Calls for COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Cancer to Enable Optimal Treatment Delivery During Pandemic

August 16th 2021

COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to induce high rates of seroconversion in patients with cancer, although those with hematologic malignancies have demonstrated lower immunogenicity and those who previously received immunosuppressive therapies appear to be less responsive.