- Oral or subcutaneous therapy can allow patients to still continue receiving intravenous chemotherapy in settings outside the hospital. 
- Examples: Xeloda or S-1 can be used as a replacement therapy for fluoracil for the treatment of GI cancer.  
- Apatinib and anlotinib can be used at home for therapy of advanced tumors. 

Alternative Cancer Treatments for Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

- Do cancer patients need to come in to the hospital for anti-tumor treatment and risk COVID-19 infection?
- This is a critical question the care team needs to ask, and individual treatment plans should be made for the cancer patient based on the severity of their cancer. 

Santa Clara University

As cancer patients are 3.6 times more likely to progress to severe COVID-19 if infected than individuals without cancer, some critical questions around care and treatment for cancer patients need to be asked in order to maintain their safety. 



Clinical Considerations and Precautions for Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Zhao, W., Qiu, H., Gong, Y., Han, C., Ruan, S., Wang, C., . . . Chen, Y. (2020, August 01). Clinical considerations for the management of cancer patients in the mitigation stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Cancer Research, 10(8): 2282-2292. 

Clinical considerations for the management of cancer patients in the mitigation stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Hospital Visits for Cancer Patients 

- To reduce hospital-acquired infection of SARS-CoV-2 in cancer patients, setting up special entrances and exits with staff guarding these doors at all times can help. 
- Planning appointments at a certain time and having patients show up right at that time can help patients avoid unnecessary wait times at the hospital.

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