Recommendations for Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy During COVID-19 Pandemic
Posted: Wednesday, April 1, 2020
To provide guidance for treatment decisions during the unprecedented coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a team of radiation oncologists have developed a set of recommendations regarding radiation therapy for patients with prostate cancer. Published in Advances in Radiation Oncology, the guidelines include a framework called RADS—short for Remote visits and Avoid, Delay, and Shorten radiotherapy—intended to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment.
“During the current crisis, delaying radiotherapy—which requires patients with prostate cancer to make multiple visits for testing and treatment—reduces their risk of exposure as well as helping to protect members of their care team. And because COVID-19 is so highly infectious, this also helps to protect society as a whole,” stated Daniel E. Spratt, MD, of the University of Michigan Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, in a Michigan Medicine press release.
The group of radiation oncologists from the United States and United Kingdom analyzed national guidelines and systematic reviews, along with data from previous and ongoing clinical trials. The RADS recommendations include the following steps: transitioning all visits to telehealth visits when patients do not require a physical exam to determine a course of treatment; avoiding radiation when evidence suggests it would be of little or no benefit to the patient; delaying treatment for as long as possible, depending on each patient’s individual circumstances; and shortening radiotherapy treatments to the shortest fractionation schedule that has evidence of safety and efficacy. The new guidelines are intended to apply only to patients who are not infected with COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting new challenges for providers who care for all types of cancer patients and creating difficult decisions around providing the most beneficial care while managing the risks and strains on the health-care system caused by the outbreak,” stated Dr. Spratt. “Our goal was to quickly provide a framework based on the most up-to-date research to help guide treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients around the globe.”
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
