Management of breast cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic: the experience from the epicenter of China, Wuhan

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health event. Wuhan used to be the epicenter of China and finally controlled the outbreak through city lockdown and many other policies. However, the pandemic and the prevention strategies had a huge impact on the medical care procedures for breast cancer patients, leading to the delay or interruption of anticancer therapies. To better serve breast cancer patients under the premise of epidemic control, many strategies have been proposed and optimized in our center. One of the most important parts of these strategies is the promotion of telemedicine, including online consultation, online prescription, and drug mailing services. In keeping with the city and hospital policies, we have also introduced stricter ward management policies and more precise care. Here, we collected the diagnosis and treatment process of breast cancer patients in our center during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was found to be correlated to a reduction in chemotherapy-related myelosuppression and hepatic dysfunction, hoping to provide a reference for other cancer centers that may suffer from the similar situation. MicroAbstract The COVID-19 pandemic has a huge impact on the medical care procedures for breast cancer patients. Here we share our experience in the management of breast cancer patients during the pandemic in Wuhan, and it is found to be correlated to a reduction in chemotherapy-related myelosuppression and hepatic dysfunction, which may provide a reference for other centers.