What is coronavirus, or COVID-19?Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel (new) coronavirus that causes a respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019, which is abbreviated COVID-19.As SARS-CoV-2 spreads, the virus can change, which results in new variants. Some variants may spread more easily than others or be more resistant to vaccines or treatments.
If I have cancer now or had it in the past, am I at higher risk of severe COVID-19?If you have cancer, you have a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Other factors that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 include having a weakened immune system (being immunocompromised), older age, and other medical conditions.People with blood cancers may be at higher risk of prolonged infection and death from COVID-19 than people with solid tumors. That is because patients with blood cancers often have abnormal or depleted levels of immune cells that produce antibodies against viruses.
If you had cancer in the past, you also may be at higher risk of severe COVID-19, and you may want to discuss your concerns about COVID-19 with your doctors.
If I have cancer now or had it in the past, should I get a COVID-19 vaccine?Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, including all primary series doses and boosters. That includes most people with underlying medical conditions, including cancer.CDC recommends most people get the Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for their primary series. You may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine in some situations. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are authorized to be used for booster doses. People ages 5 years and older should get an updated (bivalent) booster that targets the Omicron variant, the form of the virus that is most common in the United States.
People with certain cancers and those who are receiving treatment that suppresses the immune system may have a weaker response to COVID-19 vaccines than people whose immune systems are not compromised.
Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If you recently received cancer treatment that suppresses the immune system—such as chemotherapy, a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, or cell therapy—your doctor may suggest that you wait until your immune system has recovered before you get vaccinated. Or your doctor may suggest that you wait a few weeks after vaccination to get immunosuppressive treatment.
COVID-19 Vaccines and People with Cancer
An expert explains why it’s important for people with cancer to get vaccinated.
CDC also recommends that people who received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine before or during a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy be revaccinated with an mRNA vaccine for any dose(s) received before and during treatment. Revaccination should start at least 3 months after transplant or CAR T-cell therapy.
Revaccination may also be considered for people who received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine while being treated with drugs that destroy B cells, such as rituximab (Rituxan). Revaccination should start about 6 months after completing B cell-depleting therapy.
Talk with your doctors if you think you may need to be revaccinated.
To help protect people with cancer from COVID-19, it is important that their family members, loved ones, and caregivers get vaccinated and boosted. All of the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death from all variants that have emerged so far.
If I’m at high risk for severe COVID-19, what are other ways that I can protect myself?Aside from vaccination, the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. To protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19, take precautions:
Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and stay up to date on boosters.
Wear a well-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth.
Stay 6 feet away from people who don’t live with you.
Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
Some doctors advise that you make sure anyone you do have contact with has been vaccinated and/or tested negative for COVID-19.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
Cover coughs and sneezes.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
Monitor your health and be alert for symptoms of COVID-19.
Your family members, loved ones, and caregivers can help protect you and other people at high risk of serious COVID-19 by following these precautions, too.
Certain people who are at high risk of severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection may be eligible to receive Evusheld to prevent the development of COVID-19 even before they have become infected with the virus. This product, a combination of the monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab, has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use and is not a substitute for COVID-19 vaccination. People age 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg (or 88 lb) are eligible to receive Evusheld only if they
are not currently infected with SARS-CoV-2 and have not recently been exposed to someone who is infected
are moderately to severely immunocompromised and may not mount a protective immune response to COVID-19 vaccines
are unable to be fully vaccinated due to a history of severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or its components
If you are being treated for cancer and need treatment for COVID-19, your health care providers should consider potential drug interactions with your cancer therapies or overlapping side effects. In some cases, your cancer treatment may need to be paused or modified while you receive treatment for COVID-19.
This is a stressful time. How do I cope?Coping with cancer in the face of the coronavirus can bring up a wide range of feelings you’re not used to dealing with. Learn more about feelings you may have and ways to cope with them.What if I have additional questions?NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) can help answer questions that you or a loved one may have about COVID-19 or your cancer care.To reach the CIS:
Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET in English or Spanish. After business hours, recorded information is available.
Online LiveHelp® chat offers online assistance in English and Spanish Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.
JMIR Publications recently published “Understanding the Information Needs of Patients With Ovarian Cancer Regarding Genetic Testing to Inform Intervention Design: Interview Study” in JMIR Cancer, which reported that experts in gynecological cancer care recommend that all patients with invasive or high-grade ovarian cancer (OC) undergo genetic testing. However, even patients who intend to take or have taken genetic tests have many unaddressed information needs regarding genetic testing. Existing genetic counseling falls short of adequately addressing this challenge.
This study aims to investigate the genetic testing–related information needs of patients with OC to inform the design of interactive technology-based interventions that can enhance communication of genetic testing information to patients.
These JMIR Cancer authors interviewed 20 patients with OC who had taken genetic tests and gathered genetic testing–related messages from an active OC web-based community.
Data analyses produced a comprehensive taxonomy of the genetic testing–related information needs of patients with OC, which included 5 major topic clusters:
Knowledge of genetic testing as a medical test,
Genetic testing process,
Genetic testing implications for patients,
Implications for family members, and
Medical terminology
A multichannel information delivery solution that combines both provider-led and peer-to-peer education models is needed to supplement existing genetic counseling to effectively meet the genetic testing–related information needs of patients with OC.
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common gynecological cancer in the United States.”
Dr. Marian Yvette Williams-Brown, The University of Texas at Austin
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and The Society of Gynecologic Oncology recommend that all patients with invasive or high-grade OC undergo genetic testing as knowledge of gene mutations can inform targeted treatment as well as cancer screening and prevention options for at-risk family members.
Although attention needs to be placed on promoting genetic testing uptake among patients with OC and their family members, there are unmet information needs among those who intend to take or have taken genetic tests that also need to be addressed.
Studies have also found that some patients with cancer and patients at risk for cancer had concerns about genetic testing–associated risks, such as insurance discrimination, privacy infringement, and emotional distress.
Communication of information concerning cancer genetics and genetic services to patients needs to be improved to address patients’ literacy gaps and risk concerns to enhance patient satisfaction and sense of empowerment.
These authors define patients’ information needs regarding genetic testing as: knowledge gaps that patients perceive or experience as preventing them from accomplishing genetic testing–related activities or goals.
Yvette Williams-Brown and team concluded in their JMIR Publications Research Output that patients with OC have a need for information on various genetic testing–related topics.
Moreover, the information should be appropriate and sympathetic to the cognitive and emotional states of patients with cancer.
The patients’ preferences for channels or platforms to receive information differed.
A hybrid multichannel information delivery model that combines both health care provider–led and peer-to-peer patient education efforts may be most effective in delivering genetic testing–related information to patients with cancer.
Future efforts are needed to explore the feasibility of the multichannel information delivery model and its effectiveness in promoting awareness and acceptance of genetic testing among patients and family members and in empowering them in cancer treatment and care.
