COVID-19 and cancer comorbidity: Therapeutic opportunities and challenges

  • Anup S. Pathania
  • , Philip Prathipati
  • , Bakrudeen A.A. Abdul
  • , Srinivas Chava
  • , Santharam S. Katta
  • , Subash C. Gupta
  • , Pandu R. Gangula
  • , Manoj K. Pandey
  • , Donald L. Durden
  • , Siddappa N. Byrareddy
  • , Kishore B. Challagundla

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

82 Scopus citations

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral disease caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that affects the respiratory system of infected individuals. COVID-19 spreads between humans through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The COVID-19 outbreak originated in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. As of 29 Sept 2020, over 235 countries, areas or territories across the globe reported a total of 33,441,919 confirmed cases, and 1,003,497 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19. Individuals of all ages are at risk for infection, but in most cases disease severity is associated with age and pre-existing diseases that compromise immunity, like cancer. Numerous reports suggest that people with cancer can be at higher risk of severe illness and related deaths from COVID-19. Therefore, managing cancer care under this pandemic is challenging and requires a collaborative multidisciplinary approach for optimal care of cancer patients in hospital settings. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients, their care, and treatment. Further, this review covers the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, genome characterization, COVID-19 pathophysiology, and associated signaling pathways in cancer, and the choice of anticancer agents as repurposed drugs for treating COVID-19.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)731-753
Number of pages23
JournalTheranostics
Volume11
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous)

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