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

  • WECAN COVID19 GroupMappsychosocial 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