Successful restart of chemotherapy in a patient with primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor after COVID-19 infection

Abstract

Cancer patients are considered highly susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, it is not well known when chemotherapy can be safely restarted in cancer patients after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we describe the case of an 18-year-old man diagnosed with primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (PMNSGCT) in which chemotherapy could be safely restarted after COVID-19. On day 11 of the third cycle of bleomycin, etoposide, plus cisplatin (BEP), he was diagnosed with mild COVID-19. On day 16 after the onset of COVID-19 (day 26 of third cycle of BEP), chemotherapy for his PMNSGCT was restarted. He received surgery after the fourth cycle of BEP without recurrence of COVID-19. Chemotherapy could be restarted and followed by surgery in this post-COVID-19 patient who had experienced mild illness after the discharge criteria were met and all symptoms had disappeared. We report this case with a review of the literature on restarting chemotherapy after SARS-CoV2 infection.