Cancer patients must not be the forgotten tragedy of this coronavirus crisis | Prasanna Sooriakumaran

As a prostate cancer surgeon, I ’m concerned we may be losing sight of those who aren’t getting the treatment they need to stay aliveCoronavirus latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs a prostate cancer surgeon, my life before coronavirus was pretty predictable. Each day I ’d go to work and either operate on patients with prostate cancer, see patients with a new diagnosis of prostate cancer to discuss surgery, or check in with patients after I’d operated on them to monitor their recovery. Now, my working days are chaotic and unpredictable.Somehospitals are already overloaded with coronavirus admissions. Others, like University College London Hospitals, where I work, are busy making space for the impending outbreak. At UCLH, cancellations of elective cases have given doctors more time to help Covid-19 patients. Anaesthetists have tried to hold off using respirators for these patients until absolutely necessary, preferring less invasive methods instead.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak NHS Health Infectious diseases Science Society UK news Source Type: news