Cancer/Covid-19 report: vaccination, risks, what advice?
People with cancer are at higher risk for severe Covid-19 disease and should be prioritized for vaccination.
Which? What
is known about the side effects of vaccines in cancer patients? What tips are
there for protecting yourself against coronavirus in all circumstances?
Current scientific data show that cancer patients and immunocompromised individuals have been strongly targeted by Covid-19. Particularly for people with lung cancer, a condition often associated with respiratory disorders, with a risk compounded by Covid-19 infection.
Patients to be vaccinated in priority
As of
January 18, 2021, people with cancer and hematologic malignancies undergoing
chemotherapy treatment are on the Covid vaccination priority list, regardless
of age.
« The decision to vaccinate you will be made with your medical team, depending on your current treatments, your general condition, and the nature of the vaccine. You can ask the medical team that follows you for your treatment or your attending physician about this vaccination », says the National Cancer Institute.
For patients with hematologic malignancies, the following are considered ultra-priority
üPatients are actively treated for acute myeloid or lymphoid hemopathy, regardless of age, as
long as their care program does not usually involve prolonged hospitalization.
For patients with solid cancers, the following are considered ultra-priority
ü Patients whose
neoplasia treatments, whatever the modalities and sequences, are undertaken for curative purposes, excluding basal cell skin tumors.
ü patients
undergoing active treatment, without curative intent, with first- or
second-line chemotherapy.
ü Patients
receiving radiation therapy for a primary intra-thoracic tumor that includes a
large lung volume, radiation therapy that includes a large number of thoracic
and/or abdominal-pelvic lymph nodes and/or a large volume of hematopoietic
tissue.
Contra-indications to vaccination
ü Pfizer vaccine
has no contraindications for immunocompromised individuals.
ü There are no
contraindications to vaccination of patients undergoing chemotherapy and the oncologist positions the vaccination at the right time, according to their
health status.
The injection of the third dose of the vaccine
On June 18,
2021, the Health Department clarified the list of people who can receive a
third dose of the vaccine:
ü Receiving
lymphopenic chemotherapy.
ü Receiving an
organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
ü Chronic
dialysis patients after advice from their attending physician who will decide
on the need for appropriate examinations for chronic lymphocytic leukemia
patients.
ü Treated with
strong immunosuppressive drugs, such as antimetabolites (Cellcept, myfortic, mycophenolate mofetil, immoral, azathioprine) and AntiCD20 (rituximab: Mabthera,
Rixathon, Truxima) and not falling into the above-mentioned categories or
carrying a primary immune deficiency.
People with cancer are vulnerable Covid
Precautions for people with cancer
The
recommendations published by the Gustave Roussy Institute and the High Council for Public Health (HCSP):
ü Respect the 2
meters recommended distance from your neighbors or friends who would come to
visit you if they remove their masks.
ü Wash your hands
after handling a mask, before preparing, serving, and eating food, and before leaving the house; wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or
sneezing, visiting someone, going outside, taking public transportation, or
using the bathroom.
üAvoid contact
with vulnerable people (pregnant women, chronically ill people, elderly
people...) and public transportation.
Medical consultations and guidance at the hospital
During the epidemic, in healthcare establishments, visits to cancer patients by outsiders are severely limited or even forbidden, for a very short period and with the wearing of a mask, gloves, and hand washing.
For chemotherapy or radiotherapy sessions, or for surgery, it is not possible
to be accompanied inside the establishment.
In case of symptoms
Symptoms of
COVID-19 in a person with cancer are generally the same as in the general
population.
If
infectious symptoms (fever) or respiratory difficulties (cough, difficulty
breathing):
ü Do not go
directly to the doctor, nor to the hospital emergency room, but contact your
doctor or the SAMU as soon as possible, indicating your pathology.
ü Avoid contact
with other people and keep your mask on
If you are
infected with COVID-19, your doctor may need to temporarily suspend your
treatment.
Cancer
treatments can lower your immune system and make you feel weak. If you have any
concerns, do not hesitate to speak with your oncologist or hematologist and
your primary care physician.
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