Breadcrumb What we do | Areas of focus Cancer and COVID-19 Cancer and COVID-19 The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is keenly aware of the monumental challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has created for cancer organisations, people living with cancer and their caregivers. Go to section Innovations and adaptations in response to COVID-19 Disruptions to cancer care Virtual Dialogues on cancer and COVID-19 Third-party articles on COVID-19's impact on cancer care Cancer and COVID-19 resources UICC recognises the innovative responses and adaptations that they have implemented to maintain progress in the fight against cancer. To address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic around the world, UICC has strengthened support for its members and continues to work with partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies. UICC's Virtual Dialogues were launched in May 2020 to connect members, facilitate knowledge sharing and provide expert insights. Furthermore, UICC has joined the COVID-19 and Cancer Task Force to help assess the impact of COVID-19 on cancer outcomes and reinforce collaborations between infectious disease and cancer modellers. Since the beginning of the pandemic, UICC has been giving voice to its members and partners in their response to the unprecedented challenges they face. These stories highlight that while the pandemic is threatening the progress being made in the fight against cancer, it has also created the opportunity to address systemic weaknesses in many national health systems. Innovations and adaptations in response to COVID-19 Organisations and healthcare workers are rallying across the globe to support patients, resume screenings and diagnostics, maintain awareness on the need for prevention and provide a safe environment for treatment. Volunteers have mobilised to deliver medication and even food to patients in need, or ensure transportation to care centres. The private sector is developing innovative technologies to reduce the time spent in care settings while maintaining quality of treatment. Digital technology is allowing doctors and research centres to collaborate and share knowledge at a global level, and accelerating the move towards greater patient-centred care. Access a report collating examples of adaptations that have emerged for the safe restoration and continuation of cancer services, or explore the many articles below. Cancer care in India during COVID-19: lessons learned and innovations Read more Cancer and COVID-19 in Peru: cancer advocacy success in the midst of a deadly pandemic Read more How COVID-19 vaccines could help put cancer care back on track By: Dany Habr Read more Adapting HPV vaccine programmes in the COVID-19 pandemic By: Tara Newton Read more Collective resilience: adapting as a community to the pandemic By: Gissoo DeCotiis Read more Working hard to ensure cancer is not the forgotten ‘C’ By: Lynda Thomas Read more COVID-19 and cancer control in Peru: the response of a private oncology centre By: Dr Carlos Santiago Vallejos Sologuren Read more Why cancer control is fundamental during a pandemic Read more Cancer care during COVID-19 in Malaysia: focusing on prevention and primary care Read more Beyond the headlines lie unsung heroes By: Bill Anderson Read more Facing a pandemic head on: How CCS took bold action to continue supporting the most vulnerable By: Andrea Seale Read more How breast cancer patients in Sierra Leone are affected by COVID-19 By: Cremelda Parkinson Pratt Read more Confronting Cancer and COVID-19 in Venezuela Read more Cancer beyond COVID-19: reimagining cancer screening and diagnosis Read more UICC welcomes the WHO & UNICEF response to a decline in vaccinations Read more Cancer care for older adults during COVID-19 Read more Getting through COVID-19: innovating and collaborating like never before By: Michael Oberreiter Read more NCDs and COVID-19: using law to act on NCDs during the pandemic By: Clare Slattery Read more Disruptions to cancer care Cancer organisations around the world struggle to maintain delivery of their life-saving services as a result of the pandemic, not only due to a drop in resources but also because of the necessary measures enacted to contain the spread of the coronavirus and fears of contagion on the part of patients. Reports highlight exacerbated shortages in frontline staff, sometimes redirected to the COVID-19 response; interruptions and delays in prevention programmes, diagnostics and testing, clinical trials and research; difficulties in engaging in community outreach with restrictions on travel and social gathering; and greater barriers to accessing essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries. A new surge in COVID-19 sets cancer care in Namibia back by over a decade Read more Addressing the challenges to the cancer community raised by COVID-19 Read more WHO report highlights severe disruptions to cancer services due to COVID-19 Read more The Impact of Coronavirus on Cancer Diagnosis and Testing By: Steve Vitale Read more Holding up the end of the line: our role as cancer civil society organisations By: Dr Murallitharan Munisamy Read more Cancer and coronavirus in Africa: the challenges facing volunteer organisations Read more Cancer and Coronavirus – long-term repercussions and funding issues Read more UICC joins COVID-19 and Cancer Task Force Read more Coronavirus in LMICs: effective advocacy in the face of adversity Read more Providing safe environments for cancer patients during the coronavirus pandemic By: Felipe Roitberg Read more Coronavirus and Cancer Care: planning, informing, assisting and giving hope Read more UICC's Virtual Dialogues on cancer and COVID-19 Since May 2020, UICC has organised several Virtual Dialogues, providing insights into some of the major challenges facing the cancer community amidst the coronavirus pandemic and exploring possible responses and solutions to these challenges. Cancer beyond COVID-19 series: #1 Reimagining cancer screening and diagnosis Read more Cancer beyond COVID-19 series: #2 Bringing quality cancer care closer to patients Read more Cancer beyond COVID-19 series: #3 Strengthening the case for investment in cancer control Read more Special Focus Dialogue - Fixing the challenges in the diagnostic testing ecosystem post-COVID-19 Read more More Virtual Dialogues recordings Third-party articles on COVID-19's impact on cancer care Scientific journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care: A Global Collaborative Study - Jounal of Global Oncology (JGO) The Paradoxical Effects of COVID-19 on Cancer Care: Current Context and Potential Lasting Impacts - Clinical Cancer Research The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care - Nature COVID-19 and cancer care in the ESMO journals - European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Fear of exponential growth in Covid19 data of India and future sketching - Supriya Mondal, Associate Professor at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, and Clinical Specialist nurse at the Aadarsh Nursing Institute in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Explore more Read more Read more Read more Tags Coronavirus COVID-19 Virtual Dialogues Cancer Task Force Cancer and COVID-19 Last update Wednesday 26 April 2023 Share this page