Impact of coronavirus pandemic on cancer patients
It can be tough to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, and it can be even tougher if you're a cancer patient and undergoing treatments.
West Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — It can be tough to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, and it can be even tougher if you’re a cancer patient and undergoing treatments.
David West lives in West Columbia. On Nov. 20, 2014, he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.
“I’m still in treatment, and my tumors have not gone away. They continue to grow some, I have 18 different tumors. But I keep going,” said West.
He’s far surpassed that six months, but is now getting his cancer treatments while living through a pandemic.
“You just have to be extra cautious and watch what you do. Stay isolated as much as possible,” said West.
Because of the pandemic, his doctors decided to stop his daily chemotherapy pill. But ultimately, that wasn’t best for him.
“They were concerned that my immune system would be weakened, so they took me off the chemo. But then they figured out that since the tumor marker jumped up so high, that it was better since I do have cancer to fight the cancer than it is to worry about COVID-19 I guess,” said West.
He’s immunocompromised through his chemo and treatments. Because of this and his age, he’s at high risk for contracting COVID-19.
“Every time I go out somewhere, I wear a mask. A lot of people, I’d say 50% of people quit wearing masks now,” said West.
Over the last few months, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network sent out two surveys to cancer patients and survivors to learn how the pandemic impacted them.
“Basically the results of the surveys showed many a lot of different health impacts and financial impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on cancer patients and survivors,” said Taylor Hall, Media Advocacy Manager, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network South Carolina.
“I think the longer the pandemic stretches out, the greater worry people have,” said West.
“Facing a cancer diagnosis is hard enough, and facing it amid a pandemic is a whole other kind of nightmare,” said Hall.
For more information what you can do to help, head to FightCancer.org or check out the ACS CAN South Carolina Twitter.
