Special considerations for elderly patients with head and neck cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Head Neck. 2020 Jun;42(6):1147-1149. doi: 10.1002/hed.26216. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Abstract

Elderly patients with head and neck cancer are at increased risk of adverse outcomes during and after treatment of head and neck cancer. COVID-19 severity and mortality can be expected to be significantly greater in elderly patients with head and neck cancer, given that increased age, comorbidities, and presence of malignancy are known risk factors for disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, their management requires multidisciplinary consensus and patient input. A thorough geriatric assessment, which has been shown to be beneficial prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, could be particularly helpful in this patient population with the added dimension of COVID-19 risk. In many cases, prudent treatment plan modification may allow for overall best outcomes. Furthermore, recruitment of social services and, when appropriate, palliative care, may allow for optimal management of these patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; geriatrics; head and neck cancer; novel coronavirus.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Communicable Disease Control / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Disease Management
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Geriatric Assessment / methods*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Patient Safety
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Treatment Outcome
  • World Health Organization