RT Book, Section A1 Waters, Victor A2 Quang, Tony S. A2 Taft, Michelle S. A2 Beriwal, Sushil SR Print(0) ID 1191393769 T1 COVID-19 Pandemic T2 Understanding the Principles and Practice of Legal Oncology YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781260474077 LK hemonc.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1191393769 RD 2024/03/28 AB To date, as of April 2021, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in 560,000 deaths in the United States and 2.9 million deaths worldwide.1 Among patients with COVID-19, cancer is an independent risk for higher mortality rates compared with those without cancer.2 The pandemic has also caused a sharp reduction in cancer screening and postponement of ongoing or planned therapy, which are contributing factors to non–COVID-19–related cancer deaths. Specifically, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, screening colonoscopies and bronchoscopies, surgeries (diagnostic, therapeutic, or palliative), interventional radiology procedures, needle biopsies, and even basic follow-up blood work and x-rays were delayed, postponed, or canceled. The complete disruption of outpatient and hospital services for prolonged periods in many geographic areas (rural, suburban, and urban) has placed a great deal of stress on health care systems managing cancer patients during the pandemic.3