Management of head and neck surgeries during COVID-19: Indian scenario

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a leading public health problem in India, mainly due to the widespread consumption of tobacco. The emergence of COVID-19 has delayed surgery and treatment for these patients. The article “Status and strategies for the management of head and neck cancer during COVID ‐19 pandemic: Indian scenario” highlighted the deteriorated situation in India and assessed the impact of this pandemic. Only a few dedicated cancer centres were available to continue HNC surgeries in India and all other health care activities were severely disrupted. The article stressed the need to develop guidelines and a mechanism to surgically treat patients with HNC, with a preoperative screening for COVID-19, available PPE and alternative treatment facilities that separated them from suspected coronavirus cases. (Head Neck. 2020 May 1. doi: 10.1002/hed.26227. Online ahead of print.)
 

Anyone interested in future collaboration in this field of research is welcome to contact our key investigator Prof. Jason CHAN in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, CUHK. Prof Chan’s research interests are role and use of genomics and microbiome in diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of head and neck cancers.