Treating the SARS-CoV-2-positive patient with cancer: A proposal for a pragmatic and transparent ethical process.

View Abstract

The treatment of patients with cancer who test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses unique challenges. In this commentary, the authors describe the ethical rationale and implementation details for the creation of a novel, multidisciplinary treatment prioritization committee, including physicians, frontline staff, an ethicist, and an infectious disease expert. Organizational obligations to health care workers also are discussed. The treatment prioritization committee sets a threshold of acceptable harm to patients from decreased cancer control that is justified to reduce risk to staff. The creation of an ethical, consistent, and transparent decision-making process involving such frontline stakeholders is essential as departments across the country are faced with decisions regarding the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients with cancer.

Investigators
Abbreviation
Cancer
Publication Date
2020-05-28
Pubmed ID
32463478
Medium
Print-Electronic
Full Title
Treating the SARS-CoV-2-positive patient with cancer: A proposal for a pragmatic and transparent ethical process.
Authors
Perni S, Milligan MG, Saraf A, Vivenzio T, Marques A, Baker MA, Kosak T, Bartlett S, Physic MA, Batchelder MR, McBride S, Bredfeldt J, Cail DW, Kearney MC, Whitehouse C, Orio P, Walsh G, Haas-Kogan DA, Martin NE