Dr. Gralow on Future Challenges in Cancer Care in the Post–COVID-19 Era

Julie R. Gralow, MD, a clinical director of Breast Medical Oncology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and a professor of medical oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses future challenges in cancer care following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of the challenges that need to be addressed in the immediate future are related to the post–COVID-19 era, Gradlow says. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently released the Road to Recovery Report, which provided a breakdown of what clinical trials and clinical care might look like following the pandemic.

The report addresses several key questions, such as whether the field has taken away any helpful lessons from the pandemic, and whether clinical trials should be conducted in the same way they were prior to the pandemic. Thus far, it does not seem necessary to bring patients into the clinic as often, and telemedicine appears to be a useful tool for conducting clinical trials, Gradlow says. Moreover, it may not be necessary to run on a tight schedule in regard to when a treatment needs to be performed, and it could be possible to perform treatments at different locations that are certified to provide such care, she concludes