Abbasi, Ahmed Nadeem

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eCommons@AKU Department of Radiation Oncology Medical College, Pakistan 6-2020 Tumor boards during COVID-19 pandemic Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_radiat_oncol  Part of the Oncology Commons, Radiology Commons, and the Virus Diseases Commons EDITORIALJournal  of  the College of  Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan 2020,  Vol.  30 (Supplement 1 COVID-19):S1-S2 S1Tumor Boards during COVID-19 PandemicAhmed Nadeem AbbasiDepartment of Oncology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanCOVID-19 pandemic is a global healthcare issue. Cancer patients’management also got effected due to the emergency measuresadopted  by  the  healthcare  policy-makers  in  order  to  provideurgent services to COVID-19 patients. In the recent few weeks,some guidelines and directives are being published and circu-lated, which are being followed by cancer-care providers.1,2Globally, the effects of this COVID-19 pandemic were felt by bothhealthcare providers and healthcare policy-makers. This unprece-dented pandemic is being faced across the world in all countries;hence, every country came up with national plans of service provi-sion that addressed not only the COVID-19 patients' care, but alsodefine guidelines for the treatment of cancer patients during thisdifficult  period.3  The  ultimate  beneficiary  of  modern  well-net-worked cancer-care systems is the patient. Cancer patients’ careand management is also being considered as a serious task byhealthcare policy-makers. As a first step in cancer management, asite-specific multi-disciplinary tumor board is conducted. When itcomes to cancer patients’ treatment, recommendations made atsite-specific multidisciplinary tumor boards form the basis of acomprehensive plan of management.4During  this  pandemic,  it  is  not  practically  possible  to  gathercolleagues  in  a  conference  room  for  multi-disciplinary  tumorboard, due to the restrictions as per directives aiming towards thecontrol of this pandemic. These board meetings are open to allcolleagues who are providing cancer-care in other hospitals aswell. Instead of cancelling these tumor boards, site-specific teamshave decided to take the help of information technology expertcolleagues and to conduct on-line web-based meetings in whichclinicians discuss their cases in the same way as they were doingbefore the pandemic. The quality of cross-deliberations was foundto be similar during these on-line meetings. The concept of multidisciplinary interaction remained intact and concerned doctorswere able to involve all relevant specialty doctors. Active participa-tion of junior trainee postgraduate residents and under-graduatestudents was also observed. The objective of sharing this experi-ence  was  to  encourage  the  colleagues,  across  the  world  toconsider making this arrangement for their respective site-spe-cific tumor boards.Correspondence  to:  Dr.  Ahmed  Nadeem  Abbasi,  Depart-ment  of  Oncology,  The  Aga  Khan  University,  StadiumRoad,  Karachi,  PakistanE-mail:  nadeem135@gmail.com.....................................................Received: April 14, 2020;  Revised: April 18, 2020;Accepted:  May  04,  2020DOI:  https://doi.org/10.29271/jcpsp.2020.Supp1.S1This  is  a  useful  take-home  message  for  the  specialistcolleagues, who are working in the developing countries. As faras our provision of cancer-care processes are concerned, westrongly recommend the establishment of high quality site-specific  tumor  boards  in  every  institution  where  cancerpatients are being treated. We consider these tumor boards asa lifeline of cancer patients in developing countries.5 An International Collaborative Group has published a recom-mended practical approach pertaining to our day-to-day clin-ical services, which we are providing to our cancer patients inthis very difficult time of history when the whole world is facinga serious pandemic.6 We are fully aware of the fact that site-spe-cific multidisciplinary tumor board plays a pivotal role in theoverall comprehensive cancer-care plan.We have to discuss our cases before offering the first modalityof treatment to patients. This is the only way we can ascertainthat best management plan is being recommended to thesepatients. It is advisable to conduct these tumor board meet-ings with an open access to both junior and senior doctors of allconcerned specialties.Innovative measures are required for the continuation of allquality practices, processes and procedures during the time ofthis COVID-19 pandemic, which is a global problem. If we willnot be able to conduct our tumor boards during this time ofpandemic then eventually the outcome of patients will not bethe same as before. Large conference rooms are being used forthese meetings. These site-specific boards are an importantintegral part of students' clinical rotations. In certain circums-tances,  these  multidisciplinary  tumor  boards  can  beconducted via web link as we are doing in case of pediatricneuro-oncology tumor board, which is being conducted once amonth. This is a video-linked meeting in which few centres ofPakistan get connected with the Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto,Canada for the discussion of Pakistani cancer children cases.During the time of COVID-19 pandemic, the same strategy wasfollowed and now we are conducting majority of our tumorboards via networking softwares, which can be operated onpersonal mobile phones and home computers as well. In thisway, all stakeholders can give their expert input pertaining totheir specific specialty. Tumor board discussions have to becontinued in the same manner until this pandemic is over; andthen we can come back to our  conventional  way of  sittingtogether in a room for discussion, debate and deliberation oneach case presented at the tumor board meeting.Ahmed Nadeem AbbasiJournal  of  the College of  Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan 2020,  Vol.  30 (Supplement 1 COVID-19):S1-S2S2REFERENCESDe Paula BHR, Araújo I, Bandeira L, Barreto NMPB, Doherty1.GJ. Recommendations from national regulatory agencies forongoing  cancer  trials  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic.Lancet Oncol 2020; 21(5):624-7.Ueda M, Martins R, Hendrie PC, McDonnell T, Crews JR, Wong2.TL,  et  al.  Managing  cancer  care  during  the  covid-19pandemic: Agility and collaboration toward a common goal. JNatl Compr Canc Netw 2020; 1-4 [Online ahead of print].Combs  SE,  Belka  C,  Niyazi  M,  Corradini  S,  Pigorsch  S,3.Wilkens  J,  et  al.  First  statement  on  preparation  for  theCOVID-19 pandemic in large German speaking university-based radiation oncology departments. Radiat Oncol 2020;15(1):74.Porzio G, Cortellini A, Bruera E, Verna L, Ravoni G, Peris F,4.et  al.  Home  care  for  cancer  patients  during  COVID-19pandemic: The "double triage" protocol.  J  Pain SymptomManage 2020; S0885-3924(20)30172-X.Abbasi  AN,  Karim  MU,  Ali  N,  Hafiz  A,  Qureshi  BM.  Multi-5.disciplinary  team  tumour  boards  are  a  lifeline  for  ourcancer patients in lower and middle income countries. ClinOncol (R Coll Radiol) 2016; 28(12):799.Al-Shamsi  HO,  Alhazzani  W,  Alhuraiji  A,  Coomes  EA,6.Chemaly RF, Almuhanna M, et al. A practical approach tothe  management  of  cancer  patients  during  the  novelcoronavirus  disease  2019  (covid-19)  pandemic:  Aninternational  collaborative  group.  Oncologist  2020.  doi:10.1634/ theoncologist.2020-0213 [Online ahead of print].

Tumor boards during COVID-19 pandemic

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Tumor boards during COVID-19 pandemic

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