COVID-19 Resources of WECAN members
The Corona virus and the COVID-19 epidemic is of concern to many cancer patients who are in special need of cancer treatment and follow-up care which may have become inaccessible, and may not get access to appropriate care in case of a COVID-19 infection.
The situation, individual risks and informational needs however differ from cancer to cancer and from country to country.
WECAN mapping of key COVID-19 issues faced by the cancer patient community
To gather insights from WECAN members on key cancer patients’ concerns and challenges due to the corona crisis, WECAN has run a collective GroupMap mapping exercise with the WECAN member representatives between 18 and 29 May 2020. In the survey, WECAN has mapped key COVID-19 issues faced by the cancer patient community, especially in terms of
psychosocial and financial impact- patient management challenges
- research/trial specific challenges
- institutional challenges of patient advocacy organisations
The summary presentation is available for download here.
WECAN member organisation’s COVID-19 websites
Many WECAN member organisations are providing informational resources about COVID-19 and about specific recommendations to their patient community. Here you find links to the COVID-19 resources provided on the websites of those patient organisations, which may link to additional relevant articles and tools for their specific disease area:
| Cancer type | COVID-19 website of the WECAN member |
| Brain tumours | International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA) COVID-19 information for the international brain tumour community, Link |
| Childhood cancers | Childhood Cancer International COVID-19: Information for patients, families and survivors, Link |
| Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) | CLL Advocates Network COVID-19 statement, Link |
| Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) | CML Advocates Network CML and COVID-19: Recommendations, News, Media, Scientific Literature, Telegram Channel, Link |
| Digestive Cancers (Colorectal, Gastric, Pancreatic) | Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) COVID-19 Series: How our Members are Helping Patients through the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Link About Digestive Cancers and the Coronavirus, Link |
| Lung cancer | Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE) COVID-19 (Corona Virus) and lung cancer, Link |
| Lymphoma | Lymphoma Coalition COVID-19: Advice for patient groups from house086 in China, Link |
| Melanoma | Melanoma Patients Network Europe (MPNE) Continuous update on all COVID19 and cancer, plus specific melanoma guidelines/Info, Link |
| Multiple myeloma | Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE) Publications, tips for patients, global information, national information, Link |
| Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) | International MDS Alliance Recommendations and resources for members and patients, Link Link to blood donation appeal, Link |
| Neuroendocrine Cancers | International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance Information Resources for Neuroendocrine Cancer Patients, Link |
| Sarcomas | Sarcoma Patients Euronet (SPAEN) Resources about the coronavirus in general and especially for cancer patients, including specific information for sarcoma and GIST patients, Link |
Other helpful resources specific to cancer and COVID-19
There is a huge amount of scientific and non-scientific resources and articles on COVID-19. This page does not intend to list them all or to be complete. It aims to provide links to the COVID-19-specific pages of European cancer patient umbrella organisations as well as to resources applicable to COVID-19 issues in oncology.
Access and patient advocacy issues to care during the COVID crisis:
- EUPATI COVID-19 resources, especially links to relevant resources related to conduct of clinical trials during COVID times, Link
- EURORDIS’ statement on discrimination in critical care guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting immediate action and concrete solutions, Link
- EURORDIS open letter to policy makers with recommendations to protect people living with rare diseases, Link
- European Patients’ Forum (EPF) COVID-19 Resource Point, including four EPF statements and patient perspectives on COVID-19, Link
- Bettina Ryll’s Open Letter to all Cancer Patient Advocates about COVID-19, Link
- European Cancer Patient Coalition communication and links about cancer and COVID-19, Link
- PFMD COVID-19 resource hub, clustering information from reliable sources in the following categories: maternal health; parenting; patient organizations; patients; repositories and data; research; and workplace, Link
Clinical guidance documents on multiple cancers:
- EuroBloodNET: treatment and management of infection by Coronavirus (COVID-19) in patients affected by Rare Hematological Diseases, Link
- EBMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) Recommendations, Link
- EBMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) COVID-19 & Me webinar, Link
- EHA Webinar Series on COVID-19 in Hematology, Link
- Adapting care for older cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Recommendations from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), Link
Most relevant scientific articles on oncology (general) and COVID:
- ECCO News/Resources COVID19 portal, Link
- ESMO: COVID-19 and Cancer, Link
- Cancer Research UK: Coronavirus and Cancer, Link
- Union for International Cancer Control (UICC): Cancer and Coronavirus: coping with a double challenge, Link
- ASCO JCO: Outcome of Oncology Patients Infected With Coronavirus, Link
- Database on Clinical Trials ongoing for COVID-19 from the Anti Cancer Fund and drug repurposing, Link
- The Lancet French Guidelines article for Cancer and COVID-19, Link
- Keep up to date with Covid Regulation, EMA : LINK
