ABSTRACT
Purpose or objective The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant healthcare implications, with care for cancer patients compromised due to resource diversion towards battling the pandemic. We aim to investigate the impact of the peak wave of the pandemic in 2020 on the delivery of cancer care in Singapore, specifically via our nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment data. This study applies real world numbers to the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care delivery in Singapore. The choice of nasopharyngeal cancer allows a good direct estimate of common treatment measures such as time to biopsy, time to staging scans, time to treatment commencement, due to its clear protocol and algorithms for staging and treatment;thus serving as an excellent surrogate for the effectiveness and timeliness of the different aspects of cancer care delivery. Materials and methods In this retrospective study, we included all patients with newly diagnosed NPC from 1st January to 31st May from 2017 to 2020 at our centre. This time period was chosen as it coincided with the period in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic where there was the most strain on healthcare resources and the most restrictions on population movement within Singapore, which may impact on healthcare seeking behaviour. Narrowing down the time period to the first 5 months of the 4 respective years also allowed us to reduce the effect of annual seasonal variation in patient numbers seen as a result of holidays and festive periods such as the Lunar New Year and scheduled school holidays. Electronic medical records (EMR) were accessed. Only newly diagnosed NPC cases were included in our analysis. Patients with second synchronous primary malignancies or NPC disease recurrence were excluded. Data analysis was carried out using a combination of SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Results Significantly, there was a reduction of 37–46.3% in newly diagnosed NPC cases during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic from January to end May 2020 compared to the preceding three years. Despite the reduction in numbers of newly diagnosed NPC, there was no statistically significant differences in delay from biopsy to the first radiation oncology visit and from biopsy to the first day of treatment in 2020 compared to the preceding years. All the patients treated in our centre also received the standard NPC treatment for their disease stage as per international guidelines. Conclusion We recommend a heightened awareness of the dangers of delaying cancer presentation and care in healthcare policies and resource allocation and at the same time, encourage patient's confidence in their ability to seek care. With the resurgence of new COVID-19 variants and case numbers worldwide and in Singapore, this study focuses upon the need to be aware of the exigencies of other clinical groups in resource utilization. It would be instructive to compare this study with future long term follow up to investigate the trajectory of our cancer care delivery, as well as survival outcomes.
ABSTRACT
In December 2019, pneumonia of unknown cause was reported by China to WHO. The outbreak was found to be caused by a coronavirus which was officially named "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2), and the disease caused by it was named 'COVID-19'. The first case in Singapore was confirmed on 23rd January 2020. With lessons learnt from the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, Singapore was much better prepared to deal with the virus outbreak. The government has taken swift measures to contain and break the chain of transmission. Healthcare workers face the challenge of keeping patients and staff safe from the disease. There is a higher risk of mortality of COVID-19 in cancer patients and hence unique considerations for a radiation oncology department operating in an infectious disease outbreak. This article is the recommendations and adapted workflow from the two National Cancer Centres in Singapore with the endorsement by the working committee of the Chapter of Radiation Oncology, Academy of Medicine, Singapore. It highlights the challenges that radiation oncology departments in Singapore face and the appropriate recommended responses. This includes interventions, business continuity plans and workflow in managing a COVID-19 positive patient on radiotherapy.