Damian Sendler reviews the latest medical news from Poland. In the treatment of cancers, especially as dangerous as ovarian cancer, time is of the essence, this disease will not wait for the COVID-19 vaccine. After detecting cancer, you need to implement the appropriate treatment as soon as possible – specialists remind.

Observations from doctors from Wuhan, China, where the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, show that cancer patients are twice as likely to be infected with coronavirus infection and die four times more often if they develop this disease. The Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology has developed recommendations for the management of female genital cancer patients during a pandemic.

These recommendations concern, among other ovarian cancer, cancer that is still a poor prognosis because of late detection. “Time counts, ovarian cancer will not wait for the vaccine against COVID-19” – argues in the information provided to PAP secretary of the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology prof. Wiesława Bednarek.

The President of the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology Jan Kotarski argues that special precautions are necessary, but they cannot affect the decision to start or suspend appropriate therapy. “In the case of ovarian cancer, we should strive to maintain the recommended intensity of treatment, and therefore implement the most effective methods available at the earliest possible stage of the procedure. Consider using oral medication for patients and prescribing it for longer than usual. In turn, it is worth using telemedicine solutions more widely when monitoring patients,” emphasizes a specialist who works at the Gynecology and Oncological Gynecology Clinic SPSK 1 in Lublin.

Rapid initiation and continuation of treatment is especially important in the case of ovarian cancer, called the “silent and insidious killer”, because it has been asymptomatic for a long time. It is usually detected at an advanced stage when there are already metastases to other organs in the abdomen. This, in turn, causes the disease to recur and require further treatment.

“In ovarian cancer therapy, we strive to maximize remission time. We achieve particularly good results in the case of patients with BRCA-dependent ovarian cancer when it is possible to use treatment supporting the effects of previous chemotherapy, treatment with PARP inhibitors “- explains prof.—WiesławaBednarek, who also works at the Gynecology and Oncological Gynecology Clinic SPSK 1 in Lublin.

Specialists ensure that the care of oncological patients in our country is improving. “In the first days of the epidemic, we received numerous telephone calls from patients who have postponed follow-up visits for the sake of their safety. However, despite the initial chaos, it turned out that the oncology centers found themselves in a new, painful reality and took several actions to ensure that patients were adequately detected. Various solutions have been introduced, such as teleporades and telephone contact with the attending physician, and, if possible, the conversion of intravenous chemistry in the hospital into tablet-based therapy at home, “ensures president of the Blue Butterfly Association Barbara Górska.

Further improvements can be made to patient care. The president of the Polish Amazons Movement Association, Elżbieta Kozik, suggests adding a tab with the test results to the Internet Patient Account. “Thanks to this, the patient will always have access to them. For example, in a situation where she should not leave the house, she may send the doctor the results during a control teleporade, “he argues.

According to Elżbieta Kozik, this form of contact with a doctor could also work in the future. “Many times, patients spend on the way to the center and then in the queue to the clinic a few hours that could save” – ​​he adds.

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