Mesothelioma Survivors Face Critical COVID-19 Challenges

As the U.S. comes to grips with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, mesothelioma cancer survivors face additional hurdles, including difficulty receiving care. Patients currently undergoing treatment for cancer and those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk of serious health issues if they contract COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cancer patients are a high-risk group and should be extra vigilant in terms of isolation precautions. They should follow the medical authorities’ instructions,” Dr. Ory Wiesel, a thoracic surgeon at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “They should be in touch with their medical and radiation oncologists for treatment plans and try to minimize unnecessary visits as much as possible. However, they should keep getting treatment.” Wiesel stressed that patients should be advised by their doctors during this period. Treatment Challenges Facing Mesothelioma Patients With hospitals overwhelmed with the influx of COVID-19 patients, scheduling issues are becoming a concern for mesothelioma patients. “I already had to cancel one of my appointments at Dana-Farber in Boston because it’s not worth the risk of me going down there and possibly getting this virus,” said Emily Ward, a seven-year pleural mesothelioma survivor. Ward, who was taking the immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab), suspended that treatment on March 3 and began a new chem...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news