In late December 2019, a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases was noticed in Wuhan, China, which was later identified as an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Since then, it has spread globally, causing public health emergency and urgency, and declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of 1 April 2020, the data shows more than 200 countries and territories have been affected, with more than 824,000 con-firmed cases and 41,000 deaths. Across the globe, many cancer patients visit the hospital and clinics for treatment and investigations. A large number of this population are immunocom-promised, either due to their underlying disease or cancer treatments which put them at higher risk for infection and complications. In addition, several risk factors have been identified that increase the risk and severity of infection with COVID-19, and cancer patients commonly have many of them. Recently, a large retrospective study among cancer patients infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, found a higher incidence of severe events in cancer patients compared to patients without cancer. As doctors working amid this pandemic, we all have responsibilities and duties to act upon local guidelines to ensure the continuation of essential cancer services without overwhelming the health care system. In this review, we addressed the potential challenges and possible actions for clinicians to manage cancer patients during this unusual time.

In late December 2019, a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases was noticed in Wuhan, China, which was later identified as an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Since then, it has spread globally, causing public health emergency and urgency, and declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of 1 April 2020, the data shows more than 200 countries and territories have been affected, with more than 824,000 con-firmed cases and 41,000 deaths. Across the globe, many cancer patients visit the hospital and clinics for treatment and investigations. A large number of this population are immunocom-promised, either due to their underlying disease or cancer treatments which put them at higher risk for infection and complications. In addition, several risk factors have been identified that increase the risk and severity of infection with COVID-19, and cancer patients commonly have many of them. Recently, a large retrospective study among cancer patients infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, found a higher incidence of severe events in cancer patients compared to patients without cancer. As doctors working amid this pandemic, we all have responsibilities and duties to act upon local guidelines to ensure the continuation of essential cancer services without overwhelming the health care system. In this review, we addressed the potential challenges and possible actions for clinicians to manage cancer patients during this unusual time.