The COVID-19 global epidemic poses this generation’s biggest worldwide public health challenge probably since the 1918 influenza epidemic. Recent reports on two new variants have triggered a dramatic upsurge in research to understand the pandemic, primarily focussing on the virology, triggers, clinical characteristics, and diagnostic tests including the prevention and management of the novel coronavirus. Whilst such studies are important in managing the present medical emergency, there is a need for further work to include interdependencies between the epidemic and other illnesses. This will help in developing effective approaches to treat and manage associated diseases in both the short and the long term. In this regard, people living with cancer are a subgroup that is highly vulnerable to respiratory infections and acute pneumonitis similar to the one caused by the COVID-19 virus. This is because the state of their immunity is compromised due to malignancy and the adverse effects of anticancer treatments. With annual cancer projections rising globally and an estimated 70 percent of all cancer-related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, the patient population with impaired immune systems that could be adversely impacted by COVID-19 is only anticipated to rise. In this review, we delve into the challenges and health risks facing cancer patients and cancer treatment in the COVID-19 context, with suggestions into viable measures which can be taken to minimize exposure to the risk of contracting COVID-19 for this vulnerable subgroup. New mutations and the prospects offered by vaccines development and how they relate to this class of patients are also discussed.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 和癌症治疗：COVID-19 时代癌症病例的相互关系和管理

COVID-19 全球流行病可能是自 1918 年流感流行以来这一代人在全球范围内面临的最大公共卫生挑战。最近关于两种新变体的报道引发了对了解大流行的研究的急剧热潮，主要集中在病毒学、触发因素、临床特征和诊断测试，包括新型冠状病毒的预防和管理。虽然此类研究对于管理当前的医疗紧急情况很重要，但需要进一步开展工作以包括流行病与其他疾病之间的相互依存关系。这将有助于开发有效的方法来治疗和管理相关疾病的短期和长期。在这方面，癌症患者是一个极易感染呼吸道感染和急性肺炎的亚群，类似于由 COVID-19 病毒引起的肺炎。这是因为他们的免疫状态由于恶性肿瘤和抗癌治疗的副作用而受到损害。随着全球每年癌症预测的增加，并且估计所有癌症相关死亡的 70% 发生在低收入和中等收入国家，免疫系统受损且可能受到 COVID-19 不利影响的患者群体预计只会增加。在这篇综述中，我们深入研究了 COVID-19 背景下癌症患者和癌症治疗所面临的挑战和健康风险，并提出了可行措施的建议，这些措施可以最大限度地减少这一弱势群体感染 COVID-19 的风险。