Adapting care for older cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a barrier to equal and evidence-based management of cancer in older adults. The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) formed a panel of experts to develop consensus recommenda-tions on the implications of the pandemic on several aspects of cancer care in this age group including geriatric assessment (GA), surgery, radiotherapy, systemic treatment, palliative care and research.
Age and cancer diagnosis are significant predictors of adverse outcomes of the COVID-19 infection. In this setting, GA is particularly valuable to drive decision-making. GA may aid estimating physiologic reserve and adaptive ca-pability, assessing risk-benefits of either providing or temporarily withholding treatments, and determining pa-tient preferences to help inform treatment decisions. In a resource-constrained setting, geriatric screening tools may be administered remotely to identify patients requiring comprehensive GA. Tele-health is also crucial to en-sure adequate continuity of care and minimize the risk of infection exposure.
Co-Chairs
Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, UK
Anna Mislang, Australia
Members
Riccardo Audisio (Sweden); Mahmood Alam (Australia); Etienne Brain (France); Clarito Cairo Jr (Philippines); Kwok Leung Cheung (UK); Giuseppe Colloca (Italy); Lisa Cooper (USA); Luiz Antonio Gil Jr (Brazil); Regina Gironés Sarrió (Spain); Michael Jaklitsch (USA); Kumud Kantilal (UK); Stuart Lichtman (USA); Anita O’Donovan (Ireland); Shane O’Hanlon (Ireland); Chiara Russo (France); Schroder Sattar (Canada); Enrique Soto (Mexico); Reinhard Stauder (Austria); Hans Wildiers (Belgium); Grant Williams (USA).
In 2020, SIOG created a COVID-19 Working Group. The goal of this group is to provide guidance for the management of cancer in older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to facilitate the conduct of research on this topic.
2020
The following guideline “Adapting care for older cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Recommendations from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) COVID-19 Working Group” was published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology (JGO).
The project was supported by an unrestricted grant from Sanofi Genyzme. 
Recommendations on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines among older adults with cancer
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact our society. Older adults are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. People who are frail, living in residential care facility, and/or with comorbidities, including cancer are disproportionately disadvantaged. To reduce the risk of infection among older adults with cancer, several anticancer therapies have been prioritized, delayed, de-escalated, or omitted based on clinical need. However, public health interventions remain critical to mitigate transmission and minimize adverse outcomes. Of these, mass immunization is perhaps a more effective preventive health measure and potentially a key exit strategy from this crisis.
Co-Chairs
Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, UK
Anna Mislang, Australia
Members
Riccardo Audisio (Sweden); Mahmood Alam (Australia); Etienne Brain (France); Clarito Cairo Jr (Philippines); Kwok Leung Cheung (UK); Giuseppe Colloca (Italy); Lisa Cooper (USA); Luiz Antonio Gil Jr (Brazil); Regina Gironés Sarrió (Spain); Michael Jaklitsch (USA); Kumud Kantilal (UK); Stuart Lichtman (USA); Anita O’Donovan (Ireland); Shane O’Hanlon (Ireland); Chiara Russo (France); Schroder Sattar (Canada); Enrique Soto (Mexico); Reinhard Stauder (Austria); Hans Wildiers (Belgium); Grant Williams (USA).
In 2020, SIOG created a COVID-19 Working Group. The goal of this group is to provide guidance for the management of cancer in older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to facilitate the conduct of research on this topic.
2021
The SIOG COVID-19 working group recommendations on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines among older adults with cancer . Anna Rachelle Mislang, Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Chiara Russo, Giuseppe Colloca, Grant R Williams, Shane O’Hanlon, Lisa Cooper, Anita O’Donovan, Riccardo A Audisio, Kwok-Leung Cheung, Regina Gironés Sarrió, Reinhard Stauder, Michael Jaklitsch, Clarito Cairo, Luiz Antonio Gil Jr, Schroder Sattar, Kumud Kantilal, Kah Poh Loh, Stuart M Lichtman, Etienne Brain, Hans Wildiers, Ravindran Kanesvaran, Nicolò Matteo Luca Battist. J Geriatr Oncol . 2021 Mar 5;S1879-4068(21)00057-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2021.03.003.