The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patients

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to bring up chemo-surveillance as an important issue to dictate the display of a fatal symptom of pulmonary fibrosis following infection of COVID-19 that can gravely affect cancer patients and to develop CDA formulations for the therapy of pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. COVID-19 infection triggers biological and immunological responses similar to wound, resulting in the production of prostaglandins to cause symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever and cough, and tumor necrosis factor to cause cachexia symptoms leading to the collapse of chemo-surveillance which is a natural defense mechanism to ensure perfection of wound healing. The collapse of chemo-surveillance promotes the development of pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. The functionality of chemo-surveillance of cancer patients has been badly compromised. Therefore, cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to develop severe symptom of pulmonary fibrosis. Cancer therapies based on cell- killing such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy also cause the damage of chemo-surveillance to gravely enhance the development of fatal pulmonary fibrosis. Cancer patients, therefore, should be advised to avoid being infected by COVID-19, and if infected by COVID-19, targeted cancer therapy should become the priority choice to avoid the development of fatal symptom of pulmonary fibrosis. Multiplication of the COVID-19 virus is of course the primary concern of viral infection. Vaccines, immuno-surveillance, and antiviral medicines such as interferon and nucleoside analogs can help to control COVID-19 infection and multiplication. But if the fatal symptom of pulmonary fibrosis has developed, there is no medicine available to treat this fatal symptom. The development of CDA formulations that can put out pulmonary fibrosis and Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) is very urgent to save gravely ill patients of COVID-19 and cancer.