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Implementation of breast cancer continuum of care in low- and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors :
Elghazawy H
Bakkach J
Zaghloul MS
Abusanad A
Hussein MM
Alorabi M
Eldin NB
Helal T
Zaghloul TM
Venkatesulu BP
Elghazaly H
Al-Sukhun S
Source :
Future oncology (London, England) [Future Oncol] 2020 Nov; Vol. 16 (31), pp. 2551-2567. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jul 27.
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. The current COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented challenge leading to care disruption, which is more severe in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to existing economic obstacles. This review presents the global perspective and preparedness plans for breast cancer continuum of care amid the COVID-19 outbreak and discusses challenges faced by LMIC in implementing these strategies. Prioritization and triage of breast cancer patients in a multidisciplinary team setting are of paramount importance. Deescalation of systemic and radiation therapy can be utilized safely in selected clinical scenarios. The presence of a framework and resource-adapted recommendations exploiting available evidence-based data with judicious personalized use of current resources is essential for breast cancer care in LMIC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1744-8301
Volume :
16
Issue :
31
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Future oncology (London, England)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
32715776
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2020-0574