Considering rapidly changing medical information relating to COVID-19 and oncology, several organizations have developed resources available to the public.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Sign up for the CDC COVID-19 Newsletter
- Get the latest public health information from CDC
- A Guide for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers and Family Members
- Providing nurses with information to help cancer patients prevent an illness like COVID-19 is critical. “To keep our communities safe and the most vulnerable people healthy, everyone needs to stay at home as much as possible. But patients with cancer and survivors must take extra steps to help maintain their health and safety,” says CDC’s Dr. Richardson. Based on CDC’s Staying Well While Staying Home Guide, Dr. Richardson’s new blog post for the Oncology Nursing Society’s ONS Voice, provides patient education talking points to help prevent COVID-19 and avoid being exposed to it.
- A cancer diagnosis and its treatments can bring many challenges. The possibility of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 adds to these challenges. It’s important for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to know what to do to protect their health and reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Director, Dr. Lisa Richardson, provides steps cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers can take to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic in this podcast.
- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has begun compiling a list of COVID-19 information sources for oncology specialists and patients.
- The American Cancer Society addressed the risks and complications of COVID-19 for cancer patients
- National Cancer Institute: Coronavirus and What People with Cancer Should Know
- National LBGT Cancer Network: Coronavirus Information
- National Institutes of Health: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Cancer Currents blog post, “How Does COVID-19 Affect People with Cancer? NCCAPS Will Help Find Out,” by NCI Deputy Director Dr. James H. Doroshow. This post highlights the launch of a long-term, nationwide study, called NCI COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study (NCCAPS).
American Cancer Society Support Resources
We’re here for you and your patients 24/7 – 1-800-227-2345 – Our trained Cancer Information Specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day, every day of the year to empower you with accurate, up to date information to help patients make educated health decisions. We connect patients, caregivers, family members, and medical staff with valuable services and resources. Our Cancer Information Specialists can be contacted by phone (1-800-227-2345) or Live Chat – www.cancer.org/about-us/online-help/contact-us.html.
- Cancer Information Videos – Videos can help you learn more about cancer prevention and early detection, cancer treatment, cancer programs and services, your particular type of cancer, and more. Stories from cancer survivors and their caregivers will inspire you.
- Caregiver Resource Guide – This tool is for people who are caring for someone with cancer. It can help you: learn how to care for yourself as a caregiver, better understand what your loved one is going through, develop skills for coping and caring, and take steps to help protect your health and well- being.
- Cancer Survivors Network – Safe online connection where cancer patients and caregivers can find others with similar experiences and interests. At csn.cancer.org, members can participate on discussion boards, join a chat room, and build their own support network from among the members.
- Caregiver Video Series – This series offers psychosocial and educational support for caregivers of loved ones with cancer. It also provides selfcare techniques, so they can maintain or improve their own quality of life, as they go through the caregiver experience.
- Reach To Recovery connects breast cancer patients with trained volunteers to receive peer-to-peer support.
- “tlc” Tender Loving Care – helps women cope during and after cancer treatment by providing wigs and other hair loss products (plus how-to information), as well as mastectomy products, all at affordable prices.
- ACS Research Podcast – American Cancer Society grantees discuss critical questions in cancer research. From prevention to treatment, from bench to bedside, from career development and mentoring to outreach and advocacy, leading experts share their thoughts about the most important issues in the field. Here’s the link to the ACS Research Podcast, which is available on iTunes (here)and other podcast platforms such as Soundcloud, Spotify, and Stitcher. The intended audience is a lay audience that’s interested in science and research, but are not scientists.
- American Cancer Society YouTube Channel
- Stories of Hope
- Cancer Support Community
- ACS Covid-19 Information
- What cancer patients and caregivers need to know about COVID-19? ACS Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, provides important guidance and perspective in this PODCAST(24min).
- American Cancer Society Common Questions About the Coronavirus Outbreak
- Nurture Your Emotional Health: Coping with anxiety during the coronavirus outbreak
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cancer Patients and Survivors Survey
Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO
The Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health ECHO Center at IUPUI uses Project ECHO to share knowledge and best practices across practices and communities. ECHO uses web-based Zoom videoconferencing to allow participants to get real-time answers to their questions.
Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO sessions are Wednesdays from 8:00-9:15am ET. They will be hosted weekly for 6 weeks (and longer, if needed).
The Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO will feature public health and clinical leadership that will share perspectives and best practices for addressing COVID-19 in Indiana communities during the evolving pandemic. Curriculum topics for this program will include: Infection Control Practices, Expanding Telehealth Services, Screening and Protocols for Testing, and much more! All members of the healthcare team or individuals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in their community are welcome to join.
For questions or more information, Please contact Andrea Janota, 317-274-3178 or email ajanota@iu.edu
Other Resources
- IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center: Psychologist Dr. Johns answers questions about COVID-19
- Managing Loneliness and Anxiety During This Time of Social Distancing BreastCancer.org Podcast
- Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatment
- FDA Takes Action to Address Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- HUD Releases Multifamily Radon Testing Guidance in Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergence
- Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Strategy Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic