AGIHO guideline on evidence-based management of COVID-19 in cancer patients: 2022 update on vaccination, pharmacological prophylaXis and therapy in light of the omicron variants

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 , the associated infectious disease COVID-19 pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Patients with cancer have been identified as a high-risk population for severe infections, rendering prophylaxis and treat-ment strategies for these patients particularly important. Rapidly evolving clinical research, resulting in the recent advent of various vaccines and therapeutic agents against COVID-19, offers new options to improve care and protection of cancer patients. However, ongoing epidemiological changes and rise of new virus variants require repeated revisions and adapta-tions of prophylaxis and treatment strategies to meet these new challenges. Therefore, this guideline provides an update on evidence-based recommendations with regard to vaccination, pharmacological prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19 in cancer patients in light of the currently dominant omicron variants. It was developed by an expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO) based on a critical review of the most recent available data. 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and associated infectious disease COVID-19 present a significant challenge to healthcare systems worldwide, with cancer patients being identified as a high-risk population. The rapid development of vaccines and therapeutic agents against COVID-19 offers new options for improving care and protection of cancer patients. However, ongoing epidemiological changes and the emergence of new virus variants require constant revisions and adaptations of prophylaxis and treatment strategies to address these new challenges.