Omicron: “In this way there is a risk of warding off the possibility of recovery for many cancer patients”
After almost two years of pandemic there is again a very strong reduction of diagnostic activities and surgical interventions for many patients and also for the cancer patients. Certainly something went wrong and it would be fair to admit it. Also because the solutions to avoid further delays and that the progress achieved in terms of healing and survival for cancer patients who are nullified by the pandemic there are: from the real strengthening of territorial medicine to early home care up to the use of retired doctors and military doctors in vaccination hubs to ensure that hospital doctors are not subtracted from fundamental activities such as diagnostics.
The open letter from the leading oncologists
This is the meaning of the open letter signed by Luigi Cavanna, president of the Italian College of primary hospital medical oncologists. “In recent years, very important progress has been made in treatment of patients with malignant tumors: increased healings, prolonged survival for those who do not recover and improved quality of life for the majority of patients. These advances have been achieved through prevention (screening), technical, biological, pharmacological research, and multi-professional care strategies. These important advances risk being thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic ”, the letter reads. A situation, says Cavanna that needs some considerations.
Intervening late can cost many lives
“In February-March 2020, our country, especially the North, was heavily affected by the pandemic, with the consequences that everyone is well aware of and as regards cancer patients this translated into: blocking of screening, diagnostic delays, delays for surgery etc. For a time-dependent disease such as cancer, the delay in diagnosis and surgery (think of tumors of the stomach, colon, breast, etc.), it can mean the loss of true healing possibilities and therefore be destined to die from a disease that if treated in time could be curable; in March-April 2020 we witnessed and accepted that a good part of the public and private hospitals in our country were converted for the exclusive treatment of Covid patients, with suspension or very strong reduction of diagnostic activities and surgical interventions for many patients – including cancer patients – it is now becoming very difficult to accept that all this is repeating itself after almost two years of pandemic “, adds the oncologist who continues:” Two years in the medical, scientific and health fields are an enormity. In two years, a lot of knowledge changes, thanks to research, not only biomedical, pharmacological and technical, but also organizational, relational, etc. Why are hospitals filling up with Covid patients again after 2 years? Why are diagnostic and surgical interventions even for cancer patients still delayed – postponed? Certainly something went wrong and we believe it is fair to admit it.
Proposals to solve the problem
What solutions then? “Let us remember that in oncology, through clinical and organizational research on a disease that until recently was not called by name, tumor or cancer, but preferred to call it “Bad bad”, multiple innovative processes have been developed ”, underlines the president of the College of Hospital Oncologists. “Think of screenings, which are essentially oncological, think of end-of-life care when healing is not possible: palliative care and
hospices have been introduced for cancer patients. The concepts of multi-professional, multidisciplinary care were also developed, which later became a model of practical behavior for other branches of medicine and Surgery. We also support that territorial medicine (much declaimed in recent months) is finally strengthened, that early home care is developed once and for all, in order to leave hospitals free. In two years of the pandemic too little research has been aimed at early care and dramatic results are being seen. Who today, in January 2022, needs the hospital for non-Covid-19 diseases risks not receiving adequate care, or in any case far less than January 2020 (pre Covid). Medicines by mouth for Covid early home care are now on the market, therefore scientifically based diagnostic / therapeutic protocols for home care should be developed and data collected and research carried out. Early home care it must envisage a multidisciplinary approach between local doctors, hospital specialists, doctors of the special continuity of care units (Usca). The goal must be to reduce hospitalizations and free hospitals for non-Covid patients”.
Hospital doctors should not be used to make vaccines
Moving on to examine vaccines, in the vaccination hubs, the letter underlines, doctors from hospitals are not hijacked, removed from fundamental activities such as diagnostics (endoscopies, ultrasound scans, etc.) with a consequent very negative impact on diagnosis times. “Let them call themselves retired doctors, let them be assigned to military doctors. And, above all, it would be appropriate that in their appearances the virology spoke with more humility and not with arrogance, having the courage to say that many aspects are still unknown and sometimes saying “I don’t know” instills trust and respect, even for those who think differently “.