The medical community has been deeply involved in fighting the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and, as a consequence, the care of non-COVID-19 patients has been impacted. However, the treatment of head and neck cancer patients is not deferrable, and an integrated strategy is required. The aim of the current article is to present the experience in the management of head and neck patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at the research hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”. This review contains replicable and widely usable instructions on how to avoid delays in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck tumors and to ensure a gradual return to elective procedures. The Head and Neck Department of the research hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” includes an Otolaryngology and a Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, both of which deal with the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant pathologies of the head and neck, as well as urgent/emergent consultations and surgical procedures that necessitate time sensitive operative management, such as cochlear implantation (CI). Given these premises and the complexity of the Department, the “COVID-19 organizing protocol” of the research hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” was divided into two phases in accordance with the different stages of the pandemic and the priority of treatment. Special attention was given to the medical surveillance of health care workers and hospitalized patients, to the organization of the outpatient clinic and the operating setting as well as to the implementation of telehealth systems. The COVID-19 pandemic is going to be a long-term situation with lasting effects on the public health and the entire society. Therefore, an efficient health care system has to adopt a double strategy: always being ready for a “new wave” of the pandemic and not forgetting non-COVID-19 patients, among whom head and neck cancer patients represent a priority. More than 1 year since the first outbreak in Wuhan, this review offers a unique and helpful perspective that incorporates awareness of the disease.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 大流行期间管理头颈癌患者：意大利南部三级转诊中心的经验

医学界已深入参与抗击 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 大流行，因此，非 COVID-19 患者的护理受到了影响。然而，头颈癌患者的治疗是不可推迟的，需要综合策略。本文的目的是介绍研究医院“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”在 COVID-19 大流行期间管理头颈部患者的经验。本综述包含可复制和广泛使用的说明，说明如何避免延误头颈部肿瘤的诊断和治疗，并确保逐步恢复选择性手术。研究医院“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”的头颈科包括耳鼻喉科和颌面外科，两者都涉及头颈部良性和恶性病变的诊断和治疗，以及需要时间敏感的手术管理的紧急/急诊会诊和外科手术，例如人工耳蜗植入 (CI)。鉴于这些前提和部门的复杂性，研究医院“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”的“COVID-19 组织方案”根据大流行的不同阶段和治疗的优先级分为两个阶段。对医护人员和住院患者的医疗监测、门诊的组织和操作环境以及远程医疗系统的实施给予了特别关注。COVID-19 大流行将是一个长期的局面，对公共卫生和整个社会产生持久的影响。因此，一个高效的医疗保健系统必须采取双重策略：时刻准备好迎接大流行的“新浪潮”，同时不要忘记非 COVID-19 患者，其中头颈癌患者是重中之重。自武汉首次爆发疫情以来已有 1 年多时间，这篇综述提供了一个独特而有益的视角，其中包含了对该疾病的认识。