ABSTRACT
Background: It has been almost three years since the COVID-19 outbreak, yet evidence of its impact on the cancer care landscape remains scant. The present single-center study examines patterns in gynecological cancer diagnoses before and during the pandemic. Method(s): All female patients diagnosed in our academic hospital with gynecological cancer, between January 2017 and December 2020, were retrospectively identified. Pre-defined subgroup analyses were performed in patients who had been newly diagnosed during 2020 and in the pre-pandemic 3-year period. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Conference on Harmonization for Good Clinical Practice. Result(s): In total, 1,193 women were included in this case-control study;1,001 (83.91%) were identified in the pre-pandemic period as a control, while 192 (16.09%) cases were allocated in the pandemic group. The two cohorts were similar regarding demographic and clinical characteristics. For the pre-pandemic period, the mean yearly number of patients with newly identified cancer was highest for endometrial (149;44.61%), followed by ovarian (92;27.5%) carcinomas. During the first year of the pandemic, the number of new diagnoses significantly decreased by 42.5% (from 334 to 192) for all types of malignancies combined (one sample t-test p-value= 0.014). Declines ranged from 36.96% to 49% for ovarian and endometrial cancer, respectively. Conclusion(s): This is the first study to appraise a timely snapshot of the effect of COVID-19 on newly diagnosed gynecological tumors in a European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO)-certified center in Greece, demonstrating an alarmingly sharp decline in the number of new cases during the pandemic. It is of utmost importance the gynecologic oncologists to ensure the continuum of care for their patients. [Formula presented] Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding(s): Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.Copyright © 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 outbreak increased significantly the burden of hospital based services in an international setting. Facilities dealing with cancer cases had to cope with the burden of the disease and with the waiting lists that continuously grow as cancer patients tend to refer with increasing rates in referral centers. Surgical departments with oncological patients had to prioritize patients in order to help provide optimal care, without posing them at risk of a potential infection during their hospitalization. In the present article we report the experience of the Gynecologic oncology section of the First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens during the first 12 months of the pandemic. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
798 Figure 1Gynecological cancer surgeries on both periods[Figure omitted. See PDF]Abstract 798 Table 1Type of procedures on both periodsConclusion*The findings of our study suggest that at the first wave of the pandemic lockdown, the operations conducted in our department did not alter. In accordance with international consensus guidelines the stage, the grade and the type of cancer, and the potential comorbidities were the main factors that accounted for the decision of the optimal mode of treatment.