COVID-19 | Specialty

The OncLive COVID-19 condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted multiple areas of oncology care and practice. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts encompassing data of patients with COVID-19 and cancer, oncology drugs being tested against the virus, vaccine information for patients with cancer, and more.

Borgen Recommends Revamping Peer Review for a Post-COVID-19 World

May 5th 2022

Dr Borgen recaps a presentation he made at the 2022 Miami Breast Cancer Conference highlighting the flaws with preprints, outlining his recommendations for fixing peer review, and explaining how this affects cancer research.

NCCN Recommends Fifth COVID-19 Shot for Patients with Cancer

April 29th 2022

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network is advising individuals who are immunocompromised, including those with cancer, to receive a fifth COVID-19 vaccination.

COVID-19 Booster Yields Responses After Failure of Initial Vaccine Doses in Prior HCT or CAR T-Cell Therapy Recipients

April 29th 2022

The administration of a third dose of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine yielded seroconversion responses in patients treated with hematopoietic cell transplantation or cellular therapy following initial failure of seroconversion after the first 2 vaccine doses.

COVID-19 Vaccine Elicits Varied Immune Responses in cGVHD

April 27th 2022

Administration of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine resulted in heterogeneous immune response in patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD), further highlighting concerns about protection against infection or severe COVID-19 disease in this population

CoVac-1 Vaccination Could Prevent Severe COVID-19 in Patients with Cancer and Immunoglobulin Deficiency

April 12th 2022

CoVac-1, a multi-peptide COVID-19 vaccine, elicited promising T-cell activity and safety in patients with cancer who have disease- or treatment-related immunoglobulin deficiency.

Study Reveals Increased Disparities in Cervical Cancer Screening Linked With COVID-19 Pandemic

April 7th 2022

Women of all races and ethnicities who were referred to a colposcopy clinic for cervical cancer screening following an abnormal Pap smear during the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher likelihood of not adhering to their appointment compared with appointment data collected prior to the pandemic.

Analysis Reveals Racial Disparities in Telemedicine Use During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients With Hematologic Malignancies

March 27th 2022

Data from a retrospective observational study revealed that White patients with hematologic malignancies in the United States had significantly higher uptake of telemedicine vs Black patients, reflecting disparities that require further exploration.

Third Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Improves Response in Patients Treated with HCT and Cellular Therapies

March 22nd 2022

Muhammad Bilal Abid, MD, MRCP, discusses clinical takeaways regarding the standard use of a third SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose among patients treated with hematopoietic cell transplantation, CAR T-cell therapy, and bispecific T-cell engagers.

Oncology Care Evolves as Lasting COVID-19 Effects Come Into Focus

March 9th 2022

The pandemic appears to have caused or contributed to a number of lasting changes in the way oncologists provide clinical care to their patients.

Senate Confirms Robert M. Califf as FDA Commissioner

February 17th 2022

The US Senate has confirmed Robert M. Califf, MD, a prominent cardiologist and expert in clinical trials, as the latest FDA commissioner today in a 50-46 vote.

AACR Report Highlights How COVID-19 Touches Every Aspect of Cancer Care and Research

February 10th 2022

The long-term dramatic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer research and patient care present several challenges but also future opportunities.

Prior Rituximab Reduces the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccination in Lymphoma

February 9th 2022

Treatment with rituximab prior to COVID-19 vaccination nearly halved the number of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who developed blocking antibodies following COVID-19 vaccination compared with healthy controls.

NCCN Recommends Full COVID-19 Vaccination ASAP for Most Patients With Cancer

January 27th 2022

Patients with cancer should be fully immunized against COVID-19, including third doses and/or any approved boosters.

Basu on Getting Ahead of the Shadow Curve of COVID-19 in Oncology

January 13th 2022

Dr Basu discusses the “shadow curve” that could result from disruptions in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic and innovative strategies that Cancer Treatment Centers of America are taking to avoid this.

Overcoming Barriers to Clinical Access in Oncology Care Delivery Requires Multilevel Interventions

January 13th 2022

Christopher S. Lathan, MD, MS, MPH, discusses the lack of dissemination and implementation of evidence-based health care delivery innovations focused on addressing disparities in care.

FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization to Long-Acting Antibody Combo for COVID-19 Prevention

January 5th 2022

The long-acting antibody combination of tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab has been granted emergency use authorization in the United States for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19.

Cautiously Reentering the World

December 25th 2021

A little self-reflection and a lot of self-compassion go a long way in a world of immense change.

COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Underrecognized Vulnerability of Patients With CLL

December 24th 2021

At the onset of the pandemic, hematology/oncology physicians were challenged in counseling patients with serious underlying malignant conditions about their risk for severe disease due to COVID-19.

Active Disease, ICU Deferral Linked With COVID-19–Related Mortality in AML, ALL, and MDS

December 12th 2021

Mortality rates in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome who were diagnosed with COVID-19 were higher compared with non-cancer populations who were infected with the virus.

Oncology Drug Regulation Faces an Uncertain Future

December 1st 2021

Maurie Markman, MD, discusses how agency leaders should be encouraged to improve regulatory science, include a patient’s perspective in approval decisions, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and costs associated with the conduct of trials, and accelerate the overall review process for drug approval.