Treatment Approaches for Managing Patients with Hematological Malignancies in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

Turk J Med Sci. 2021 Dec 13;51(6):2799-2809. doi: 10.3906/sag-2101-276.

Abstract

Background/aim: The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique challenge to the care of patients with hematological malignancies. We aim to provide supportive guidance to clinicians making individual patients decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular during periods that access to healthcare resources may be limited.

Conclusion: This review also provides recommendations, which are convenient in evaluating indications for therapy, reducing therapy-associated immunosuppression, and reducing healthcare utilization in patients with specific hematological malignancies in the COVID-19 era. Specific decisions regarding treatment of hematological malignancies will need to be individualized, based on disease risk, risk of immunosuppression, rates of community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and available local healthcare resources.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; hematological malignancies.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Hematologic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Hematologic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2