“First of all, about 60 to 70 percent of all cancer survivors already have a compromised immune system. When your immune system is compromised, you will be more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus. When you are a cancer patient, you will be even more vulnerable, because cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, also cause your immunity to decline,” Indonesian Oncology Radiation Association (PORI) chairwoman Soehartati A. Gondhowiarjo told The Jakarta Post on Oct. 23.

“Therefore, when cancer patients contract the coronavirus, their chances of getting a severe case of COVID-19 stand at 39 percent, whereas for people who don’t have cancer, their likelihood of getting a severe case of COVID-19 stands at only eight percent,” she said.

It is important that we pay special attention to cancer survivors and patients during the pandemic, not only because they are more vulnerable to the virus, but also because Indonesia is home to so many cancer patients.

While speaking at a webinar themed “Radiation Therapy Services: Overcoming Cancer Patient Treatment Challenges through Innovative Technology” on Oct. 20, Soehartati cited PORI data that in 2018, the country had seen more than 350,000 cases of cancer.

The webinar was organized by the Health Ministry, state-owned Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) and PORI, in partnership with American radiation oncology treatment and software maker Varian Medical Systems.

A more recent study Soehartati quoted predicted that more than 475,000 new cancer diagnoses would be made in Indonesia in 2021.

“All things considered, we need to make some adjustments for outpatient treatment of cancer patients. For instance, we can create a treatment schedule for these cancer patients [to avoid overcrowding]. For urgent cases, we will still take emergency action, but we need to be very strict about the observance of health protocols,” Soehartati said.

“For instance, we require that only one person is allowed to accompany the patient during the treatment. We will also require that the patient designate only one person to accompany them to all treatment sessions,” she added.

Soehartati said cancer patients and survivors should take extra precautions while traveling on public transport and that significant others who accompanied them should make sure their immune system was always in top shape by eating nutritious foods.

Two weeks after being treated at a clinic, cancer patients and their caregivers have to take COVID-19 tests.

“We do this not just to protect the patients and their caregivers but also our medical workers as well,” she said.

Local hospitals have created special zones in their compounds to sequester COVID-19 patients from other patients, including those who are seeking treatment for cancer, according to Soehartati.

“For instance, cancer patients will be placed in the green zone first before they are sent to the radiotherapy room,” she explained.

The problem of COVID-19 aside, Indonesia seeking better treatments for cancer patients.

For instance, during the Oct. 20 webinar, RSCM announced its latest radiotherapy facility for cancer patients. Radiotherapy, a core oncology treatment, kills cancerous cells with minimal damage to the patient’s healthy cells by exclusively targeting the cancerous cells using high-intensity wave exposure.

Thanks to the latest radiotherapy technology provided by RSCM in collaboration with Varian, which has just been integrated with the hospital’s comprehensive cancer treatment installation, doctors can mitigate complication risks among cancer patients, according to RSCM president director Lies Dina Liastuti.

“Furthermore, cancer patients and survivors can now benefit from telemedicine services, using phone calls or Zoom sessions to have their regular consultation sessions with their doctors. We’re lucky our telecommunications system has advanced so much,” Soehartati said.

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