How will your management of head and neck cancers change with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Short answer:

Most head and neck cancer radiation is as necessary as it gets. At this point, my management won't change very much. That may change as the pandemic evolves.

Use all the appropriate precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses (we are using masks for every staff member,...

I am speaking for myself and not my institution. I’ve been slow to respond because I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I dislike split course RT, particularly for head and neck. On the other hand, if you don’t split a covid positive patient, you risk infecting fellow patients and staff and possibly shu...

How are people managing contact precaution duration for COVID+ patients receiving head neck chemo/RT, considering that they will have prolonged and excess pharyngeal/oral secretions?

Our infectious disease team decided to prolong contact precautions throughout radiation treatment. They decided to be...

All answers to these questions are evolving daily.

It is incumbent on us to free up beds, free machine time where possible, and protect patients, ourselves, and staff (if we go down we are no longer a force multiplier).

I agree that curative head and neck cancer treatment should go on and that is o...

How about an early stage glottic cancer? Would you be more likely to send to surgeon for voice sparing surgery rather than treat with definitive RT?

I agree with most of the comments, but would differ on the following points.

For patients who would be eligible for curative organ-sparing approaches, that should be considered before any surgical approaches (minimally invasive, TORS or otherwise) (no change in protocol because of COVID). I am not s...