Table 1.

Table of priority groups 1–6 for systemic anti-cancer therapy if services are disrupted during COVID-19 pandemic; adapted from NHS England Clinical guide for the management of non-coronavirus patients requiring acute treatment: Cancer

Systemic anti-cancer treatments - Categorisation of patients
Priority level 1 •Curative therapy with a high (>50%) chance of success •Adjuvant (or neo) therapy which adds at least 50% chance of cure to surgery or radiotherapy alone or treatment given at relapse
Priority level 2 •Curative therapy with an intermediate (20–50%) chance of success •Adjuvant (or neo) therapy which adds 20–50% chance of cure to surgery or radiotherapy alone or treatment given at relapse
Priority level 3 •Curative therapy of a low chance (10–20%) of success •Adjuvant (or neo) therapy which adds 10–20% chance of cure to surgery or radiotherapy alone or treatment given at relapse •Non-curative therapy with a high (>50%) chance of >1 year life extension
Priority level 4 •Curative therapy with a very low (0–10%) chance of success •Adjuvant (or neo) therapy which adds a less than 10 chance of cure to surgery or radiotherapy alone or treatment given at relapse •Non-curative therapy with an intermediate (15–50%) chance of >1 year life extension
Priority level 5 •Non-curative therapy with a high (>50%) chance of palliation/temporary tumour control but <1 year life extension
Priority level 6 •Non-curative therapy with an intermediate (15–50%) chance of palliation or temporary tumour control and <1 year life extension