French consensus on management of head and neck cancer surgery during COVID-19 pandemic

Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis. 2020 May;137(3):159-160. doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2020.04.008. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Abstract

In the context of the current pandemic, there is a need for specific advice concerning treatment of patients with Head and Neck cancers. The rule is to limit as much as possible the number of patients in order to reduce the risks of contamination by the SARS-Cov-2 virus for both patients and the caregivers, who are particularly exposed in ENT. The aim is to minimize the risk of loss of opportunity for patients and to anticipate the increased number of cancer patients to be treated at the end of the pandemic, taking into account the degree of urgency, the difficulty of the surgery, the risk of contaminating the caregivers (tracheotomy) and the local situation (whether or not the hospital and intensive care departments are overstretched).

Keywords: COVID; COVID-19; ENT; Head and neck cancer; SARS-Cov-2.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • Consensus
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission
  • France / epidemiology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / virology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / surgery
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / virology
  • Surgical Oncology / methods*
  • Surgical Oncology / standards*
  • Tracheostomy / methods
  • Tracheostomy / standards