Dear Lung Cancer Community,

Our normal lives have been completely upended by COVID-19.  With many activities being deemed “non-essential” it begs the question, what is “essential,” especially when it comes to patient care. Our lung cancer community, which is at increased risk related to Covid-19, has questions and needs answers about the term “essential.”

Lung cancer is not slowing down or going away, despite the onset of COVID-19.  How do we prepare to face a two-front battle: one against lung cancer and one against COVID-19? What should be done when clinical care, as we have come to know it, no longer applies in today’s new normal?  And how do we balance necessary and urgent screening and treatment against the potential of deadly exposure to the virus?

It is a murky time and without a uniform strategy. But one thing is clear – the onset of this pandemic should drive us closer, not farther away, from patients. Members of our community need patient – centered and individualized discussions about when to be screened, where to go, how best to treat and manage a diagnosis, and how to best to avoid contracting the virus.

Fear should not replace thoughtful conversations that explain the value of treatment modifications, why certain precautions are being taken, why alternatives may be better right now, and why modified schedules are being arranged.  Now, more than ever, doctors and patients must work closely together to determine what is in the best interest of the individual patient.

We do have resources for this moment.

  1. Updated clinical guidelines were recently published by leading professional societies with recommendations on conditions in which routine baseline and annual screening for those at risk should be undertaken or delayed. Additionally, these guidelines offer recommendations for nodule follow-up and the timing of surveillance, along with decision-making factors around diagnostic procedures, staging and treatment. These processes open up avenues for enhanced doctor-patient communications and to give reassurance around patient health and safety in their healthcare setting.
  2. We are witnessing the explosion of digital health or “telehealth” due to COVID-19. All agree that telehealth is here to stay and we are better for it. In a time of social distancing and quarantines, especially for a cancer community that is grappling with unique and high-stake exposure risks, telehealth demonstrates that physical presence is not always required; the same high-quality real-time information related to consultations, second opinions, treatment plans, can easily be provided in the safety and comfort of a patient’s own home. Telehealth is an alternative that is breaking down barriers to care and preventing communication delays related to patient health.
  3. The lung cancer and disability communities are working together to ensure that patients are considered “essential” and not discriminated against during this public health crisis. Now, more than ever, our leadership on health policy and regulatory issues around the COVID-19 response is vital to ensuring our community needs are represented and barriers to treatment and care are minimized.
  4. The pandemic is pushing researchers and industry to be more collaborative and innovative to speed discoveries, cures, and new product designs. New public-private partnerships are being forged to better adapt healthcare delivery and systems to the needs of patients and usher in a new appreciation of science, research, and technology. The principles of personalized medicine are now at the forefront, telling us who is at greater risk for disease, why they are, and how to focus resources more precisely, efficiently, and effectively on a patient’s individualized needs.

Cancer and cancer care is complicated. Even in the best of times, clinical decisions and choices are not always straight forward and come with uncertainties. But, by keeping patient needs front and center, and applying urgency, innovation, and agility to defeat lung cancer in this time of COVID-19, we can transform survivorship and quality of life for our community.

We remain committed to doing whatever it takes, whatever the need, and getting it done together.

Sincerely,

                 

Bonnie J. Addario                                     Laurie Fenton Ambrose
Co-Founder and Board Chair                   Co-Founder, CEO and President