Navigating Childhood Cancer During a Global Pandemic
Visit our regularly-updated COVID19 resource page for the most up-to-date information and guidance for patients, survivors, and families: https://www.childrenscancercause.org/covid19
Like all of you, we are doing our best to stay on top of breaking news and the latest public health recommendations surrounding Coronavirus. We have been and will continue to share information and resources on social media as it relates to the health and well-being of children in treatment and survivors of childhood cancer. We are committed to bringing you reliable, trusted information that you can count on during this challenging and frightening time.
The leading resource for updated information about Coronavirus in the United States is the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC is sharing state-by-state data, updated every weekday at noon EST.
For advice from experts that is more specifically aimed at cancer patients, we recommend:
From the National Cancer Institute: “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Precautions for avoiding COVID-19 are the same as for other contagious respiratory illnesses, such as influenza (flu).”
Guidance on risk factors, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: “The early data from China, and reports from the ground in Italy and other sites of local transmission, is that our cancer patients are going to be at increased risk. Patients with hematologic [blood] malignancies we believe will have the biggest risk. Also, patients who are in active chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant patients. Those are the ones with the most profound immune deficits,” said Dr. Steve Pergam, a clinical and infectious disease researcher at Fred Hutch.
Practical advice, from Cancer.net: “Be sure to have enough essential medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, to last for up to a month. Create an emergency contact list that includes family, friends, neighbors, and community or neighborhood resources who may be able to provide information or assistance to you if you need it. Finally, if you are scheduled for cancer treatments during the COVID-19 outbreak, have a discussion with your oncologist about the benefits and risks of continuing or delaying treatment.”
Advice for caregivers, from MD Anderson Cancer Center: “The same basic preventive principles apply, whether you’re talking about a cold or the Coronavirus. Washing your hands regularly, avoiding sick people, and regularly wiping down surfaces are your best bets for avoiding infection,” says Dr. Roy Chemaly, MD Anderson infectious diseases and infection control specialist.
Emotional Health:
The Cancer Support Community has added weekend hours to their Helpline and are in the midst of adding additional counselors to the line. All of their counselors are masters-level licensed mental health professionals. Weekday hours are 9-9 and weekend hours are 9-5 – all Eastern time. The number is 888-793-9355.
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress have suggestions for helping children cope emotionally with coronavirus fears: Helping Children Cope
From a breast cancer survivor, here are some self-care tips to help cancer families cope during this stressful time.
The Cancer Letter spoke with leading oncology experts across the country about the impact of Coronavirus on cancer centers. Here’s some of what they shared:
“Research shows that patients currently receiving cancer treatment, cancer survivors, older patients, and those with weakened immune systems or serious medical conditions are uniquely vulnerable to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Because of these factors, we have an even greater obligation to implement proactive efforts that go above and beyond CDC guidelines in order to protect our patients and employees.” - Peter WT Pisters (MD Anderson)
“Patients undergoing cancer treatment are at higher risk for exposure to the virus because they have to travel to and from the facility to get their care, interact with a large team of healthcare providers when on-site, and visit facilities where patients with COVID-19 are also receiving care.” - Leonidas Platanias (Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center)
“Our leadership is also paying close attention to blood supplies. As people adopt social distancing practices, we are noticing a drop in blood donations. We are encouraging people who can to donate blood so we can avoid a shortage.” - Steve Pergam (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/Fred Hutch)
The financial impact of COVID-19 is especially challenging for many families of children with cancer who were already overburdened with medical bills and household expenses. We urge you to utilize the Hope Portal, where you can search by your location, diagnosis, and need to find nonprofit organizations that are helping to alleviate the financial burdens of families battling childhood cancer.
If you have additional questions or concerns during this difficult time, please reach out to us at info@childrenscause.org and we will do our best to find answers or connect you with the right resource.
Our thoughts are with every childhood cancer family facing added uncertainty and fear right now. Stay safe and stay healthy.
A note about our policy and advocacy work during this difficult time:
Here at Children’s Cancer Cause, our work carries on without interruption. While the world’s attention is focused on combating this pandemic, our attention remains laser-focused on combating childhood cancer.
We continue to push for legislative progress on issues related to healthcare and research, and we are actively developing new initiatives to benefit childhood cancer survivors.
We’re offering a webinar on March 25th about the challenges and opportunities around implementation of the RACE for Children Act. You can register for that here.
Because of social distancing restrictions on Capitol Hill, we won’t be able to meet face-to-face with legislative staff for quite some time, so we’ll be counting on our grassroots network around the country to help us reach lawmakers virtually. Our Legislative Action Center has a number of issues you can take action on from home, and we’ll be adding new opportunities to engage online over the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!