A Closer Look: Breast Density and Cancer Detection
OCT 08, 2024How dense are your breasts? It’s not something women think about until it’s time to screen for breast cancer. About ...
Read MoreThe coronavirus pandemic, also known as COVID-19 is having a huge impact on people worldwide, including cancer patients and their caregivers. Cancer patients are among those identified as being high risk because their immune system is compromised by their cancer and its treatment. It’s important that all cancer patients, whether currently in treatment or not, talk to their health care providers.
What we hear on the news about the outbreak changes daily, sometimes even hourly. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have made recommendations that we all can do to help in lowering our risk of contracting COVID-19 and decrease the spread:
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 can occur 2-14 days after exposure. You should contact your doctor by phone if you are experiencing any of the following:
Some patients may have diarrhea or nausea before these symptoms occur.
Other symptoms may include:
If you or your caregiver are experiencing any of the following serious signs and symptoms of COVID-19, get medical attention right of away:
According to the CDC, the virus spreads primarily from person-to-person. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus can spread through respiratory droplets by reaching the mouths or noses of people in close contact (within approximately 6 feet). The droplets may also land on surfaces, which someone may touch and could potentially lead to being infected.
If you are currently receiving treatment for your cancer, call your provider before your next appointment and follow their recommendations. The risk of missing a treatment or appointment should be weighed against the possibility of exposing the patient to COVID-19.
Some treatments and appointments can be safely delayed while others cannot. If you have a follow-up appointment, talk to your provider about the possibility of doing this via telehealth. If you are taking oral cancer medications, they may be able to be sent to you directly.
If you are currently participating or receiving treatment through a clinical trial, please contact your clinical trial research person and follow their guidance.
Bottom line, experts are learning more about the virus every day and information changes almost daily. It is important to communicate with your provider, know the symptoms of COVID-19 and report to your provider if you have any, and protect yourself by following the guidelines.
If you think you may be at risk, take our questionnaire.
For more information, see the CHI Health coronavirus page or go to cdc.gov.
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Read MoreWhen you need local health information from a trusted source, turn to the CHI Health Better You eNewsletter.