ABSTRACT
Cancer patients often face malnutrition, which negatively affects their response to cancer treatment. This study aims to analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutritional status and anxiety in cancer patients with different types and stages of cancer. This is a cross-sectional cohort study that includes 1,252 patients with varying cancer types from 17 radiation oncology centers. The nutritional risk scores (NRS-2002) and coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS) scores of all patients were measured. NRS-2002 ≥ 3 and CAS ≥ 5 were accepted as values at risk. Of all patients, 15.3% had NRS-2002 ≥ 3. Breast cancer was the most prevalent cancer type (24.5%) with the lowest risk of nutrition (4.9%, p < 0.001). Nutritional risk was significantly higher in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, head and neck cancer, and lung cancer (p < 0.005) and in patients with stage IV disease (p < 0.001). High anxiety levels (CAS ≥ 5) were significantly related to voluntary avoidance and clinical postponement of hospital visits due to the pandemic (p < 0.001), while clinical postponement was particularly frequent among patients with NRS-2002 < 3 (p = 0.0021). Fear and anxiety in cancer patients with COVID-19 cause hesitations in visiting hospitals, leading to disrupted primary and nutritional treatments. Thus, nutritional monitoring and treatment monitoring of cancer patients are crucial during and after radiotherapy.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Head and Neck Neoplasms , Malnutrition , Ambulatory Care Facilities , Anxiety/epidemiology , Anxiety/etiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Head and Neck Neoplasms/complications , Humans , Malnutrition/epidemiology , Malnutrition/etiology , Malnutrition/therapy , Nutrition Assessment , Nutritional Status , PandemicsABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: We present the 68Ga-PSMA and 18F-FDG PET/CT findings comparatively of a 67-year-old prostate cancer and malignant melanoma patient who had COVID-19 pneumonia 3 months ago. In 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT, ground-glass opacities showing markedly increased PSMA uptake were observed in the patient's lungs. It was learned that the patient had COVID-19 pneumonia 3 months ago and was treated in the intensive care unit for 13 days. In 18F-FDG PET/CT, FDG uptake was minimal in the same areas. In the midterm period after COVID-19 pneumonia, lung PSMA uptake is more intense than FDG, which may help better understand the disease's healing phase.