Head and neck cancer management in the Covid-19 era: Our experience

Introduction: In March 2020 a new viral pandemic was declared. As etiological factor a virus belonging to the coronavirus family was isolated. This virus was named SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. This virus can cause different clinical frames, variating from mild symptomatology to cases of ARDS or death. Although the pandemic outbroke in China, COVID-19 had one of first hotspots in Italy, where the Public Health System needed a re-arrangement to face the disease. The incidence of oncological disease doesn't suffer any variation in relation to pandemics or emergency period, but need to be managed as soon as possible in every situation. In our maxillo-facial surgery Unit we continued our regular activities to treat all oncological patient that needed surgery during the pandemic. Because of the absence of knowledge about the COVID-19, first periods were very difficult to manage, due to the risk of infection of patients and health professionals. We decided to share our experience. Material(s) and Method(s): Between March and June 2020, 34 patients affected by head and neck cancer were admitted at our Unit. All patients underwent surgical treatment and were hospitalized until their situation guaranteed a safe discharge. Result(s): All patients treated for head and neck cancer underwent surgery. All the medical and nurse post-operative management was performed by health operators by using all the personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent any possible infection. All contacts between patients and their family were suspended. During phase 1, all patients were submitted to a short verbal triage, measurements of physiological parameters and qualitative COVID-19 test. They were also screened by imaging to guarantee there were not any bronchopulmonary diseases referable to viral infections. During phase 2, patients were also screened by serological tests. During phase 3, all patients practiced oropharyngeal swap before being hospitalized. Discussion(s): During lockdown a re-arrangement of the management of oncological patients was mandatory. The difficulties were caused by the restriction of several activities that guarantee a normal health care system function. To date there is not a standardized therapeutic protocol to face the infection. Main therapies are symptomatic and a lot of patients need to be treated in ICUs. To prevent any possible infections, surgical activities were reserved only for urgent disease that cannot be delayed. In our Unit we continued to manage oncological patients. Social distancing and confinement measures were necessary and mandatory, in order to manage our patients. During first phases we had not any valid instrument to totally exclude COVID-19 infection. During phase 3, when oropharyngeal swaps were introduced in the screening of our patients, we could start to work in a safer way. Conclusion(s): There are still a lot of difficulties in the management of patients during COVID 19 pandemic. Because of the important consequences deriving from the delay of oncological patients their management must to be clearly defined.Copyright © 2021

A Retrospective Analysis of the Challenges of Urothelial Cancer Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Single Academic Center in Romania.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in the healthcare sector due to adaptations required to hospitalize and treat an impressive number of patients. This retrospective study intended to collect reliable information on urothelial cancer patients in Romania. The primary objective was to compare the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods to observe the differences that occurred in the management of patients with urothelial carcinoma. The secondary objective was to determine the risk factors for urothelial cancer progression in the study cohort correlated with the COVID-19 pandemic. All patients that were diagnosed and treated at our clinic with a diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (transitional cell carcinoma) during 2019-2021 were included in the current study. A total of 1122 eligible unique cases were identified during the study period. The number of patients who underwent intervention in the pre-pandemic year was 421, followed by a 22.6% decrease in 2020 to 326 cases and a 13.1% increase in 2021 to 375 cases. The proportion of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) cases was significantly higher during the pandemic years, from 30.5% MIBC cases in 2019 to 37.4% in 2020 and 39.4% in 2021, suggesting a delay in presentations during the pandemic. Stage III and IV (TNM) cases were significantly more frequent, even though approximately 40% of all patients were operated on in stage I. The number of cystectomies increased significantly, from 5.2% in 2019 and 4.3% in 2020 to 10.1% in 2021, while the number of elective surgeries decreased, although no significant difference was observed regarding the in-hospital mortality and disease progression at six months. Patients with stage III and IV at presentation had the highest likelihood of disease progression at six months (HR = 5.61). Distant invasion was the second highest risk factor (HR = 5.13), followed by MIBC type (HR = 2.49). Nevertheless, the duration of hospitalization and year of diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic were not significant risk factors for cancer progression at six months. It can be concluded that there was a significant delay in patient presentations in 2020, and we advocate for increased public health awareness for urothelial cancer and increased attention toward the screening and management of these patients in the following years.

Primum non Nocere: How to ensure continuity of care and prevent cancer patients from being overlooked during the COVID- 19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to all countries since December 2019, triggering a pandemic within weeks of the initial outbreak. Doctors were presented with the challenge of having to reimagine the traditional hospital organisation in order to effectively manage patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the months of the COVID-19 pandemic our Institution was assisted by a call-center (CC) that triaged cancer patients planned for follow-up in our outpatient clinics: C1 (for female cancers), C2 (for gastrointestinal, urogenital, and thoracic tumours), and D1 (for melanoma and for patients with tumours in over 5 years follow up). Data refers to the period between 15 April and 3 July 2020. RESULTS: A total of 1054 patients have been included in our study and 1005 (95%) of the contacts were successful. The analysis showed a majority of female patients (74%) and patients affected by breast cancer (56%). Among the options provided 646 patients (92.4%) opted for online consultancy. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that cancer patients valued technology-mediated follow-up visits mainly during the beginning of the pandemic because patients themselves were afraid to come to the hospital. Although telemedicine has intrinsic limitations, it is important for providing assistance and preventing cancer patients from feeling isolated during an emergency.

Understanding COVID Vaccination and Its Implication in Cancer Patients' Imaging of Lymph Nodes by PET-CT.

(1) Background: The appearance of enlarged lymph nodes on imaging adds another layer of complexity to the differential diagnosis of disease progression versus immune response to COVID-19 vaccines. Our aim was to find an optimal timing between the vaccination and the PET-CT scan. (2) Methods: 25 cancer patients with 18F-FDG PET-CT evaluations and a history of COVID-19 vaccination between September 2021 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed to characterize the lymph nodes related to the time interval from COVID vaccination. (3) Results: All patients presented one or more adenopathies localized in the ipsilateral axilla (96%), ipsilateral cervical area (20%), ipsilateral retropectoral (20%) and pulmonary hilum (8%). The median value of SUVmax was 3.5 ± 0.5. There was a significant indirect correlation between SUVmax and the time passed between the vaccination and the PET CT (Pearson Correlation r = -0.54, p = 0.005). There was no significant difference (p = 0.19) in the SUVmax value in patients receiving Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine vs. BNT162b2 mRNA Pfizer vaccine. (4) Conclusions: Lymph node enlargement is commonly seen in patients post-vaccination for COVID-19 and must be differentiated from disease progression. The data from our study strongly suggests that the minimum interval of time between an mRNA vaccine and a PET-CT should be more than six weeks.

What Experts Think About Prostate Cancer Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Report from the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2021.

Patients with advanced prostate cancer (APC) may be at greater risk for severe illness, hospitalisation, or death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to male gender, older age, potential immunosuppressive treatments, or comorbidities. Thus, the optimal management of APC patients during the COVID-19 pandemic is complex. In October 2021, during the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2021, the 73 voting members of the panel members discussed and voted on 13 questions on this topic that could help clinicians make treatment choices during the pandemic. There was a consensus for full COVID-19 vaccination and booster injection in APC patients. Furthermore, the voting results indicate that the expert's treatment recommendations are influenced by the vaccination status: the COVID-19 pandemic altered management of APC patients for 70% of the panellists before the vaccination was available but only for 25% of panellists for fully vaccinated patients. Most experts (71%) were less likely to use docetaxel and abiraterone in unvaccinated patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. For fully vaccinated patients with high-risk localised prostate cancer, there was a consensus (77%) to follow the usual treatment schedule, whereas in unvaccinated patients, 55% of the panel members voted for deferring radiation therapy. Finally, there was a strong consensus for the use of telemedicine for monitoring APC patients. PATIENT SUMMARY: In the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2021, the panellists reached a consensus regarding the recommendation of the COVID-19 vaccine in prostate cancer patients and use of telemedicine for monitoring these patients.

Tumor marker response to SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory responses from benign conditions can cause non-cancer-related elevations in tumor markers. The severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a distinct viral inflammatory response, resulting in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinical data suggest carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) levels might rise in patients with COVID-19. However, available data excludes cancer patients, so little is known about the effect of COVID-19 on tumor markers among cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a case series and identified patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, diagnosis of a solid tumor malignancy, and a CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125, or CA 27-29 laboratory test. Cancer patients with documented COVID-19 infection and at least one pre- and two post-infection tumor marker measurements were included. We abstracted the electronic health record for demographics, cancer diagnosis, treatment, evidence of cancer progression, date and severity of COVID-19 infection, and tumor marker values. RESULTS: Seven patients were identified with a temporary elevation of tumor marker values during the post-COVID-19 period. Elevation in tumor marker occurred within 56 days of COVID-19 infection for all patients. Tumor markers subsequently decreased at the second time point in the post-infectious period among all patients. CONCLUSION: We report temporary elevations of cancer tumor markers in the period surrounding COVID-19 infection. To our knowledge this is the first report of this phenomenon in cancer patients and has implications for clinical management and future research.

Impact of COVID-19 on cancer management in military hospitals of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on cancer management in Saudi Arabia's military hospitals. METHODS: This multi-centric, retrospective study compared cancer patients diagnosed from February-July 2019 and 2020, focusing on the time duration for acceptance and time for oncologic treatment initiation. Eligibility and referral status were recorded. Clinical data of COVID-19-positive cancer patients were collected and evaluated their outcomes and survival. RESULTS: Data of 1574 cancer patients (mean age, 57.1 years) were collected. Mean time for acceptance was 7.3 days in 2019 and 8 days in 2020, with no statistically significant difference. Mean time for oncology treatment initiation was 38.4 days in 2019 and 44.3 days in 2020, with no statistically significant difference. The number of new cancer patients decreased in 2020 but increased in peripheral hospitals. It decreased in Riyadh and Jeddah hospitals. Concerning referral status, a statistically significant modification was recorded only in Riyadh and Tabuk hospitals. No significant changes observed in time duration for acceptance of new patients and oncology treatment initiation from 2019-2020. A total of 76 COVID-19-positive cancer patients recorded; 72% were symptomatic, 73.6% recovered, 22.3% died due to COVID-19 complications, and 8% died due to cancer; cancer progressed in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 did not affect oncology service in Saudi Arabia's military hospitals. New cancer cases reduced during the pandemic. Cancer patients are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, including death.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patient's Management-Lithuanian Cancer Center Experience.

The pandemic spread of the COVID-19 virus significantly affected daily life, but the highest pressure was piled on the health care system. Our aim was to evaluate an impact of COVID-19 pandemic management measures on cancer services at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Lithuania. We assessed the time period from 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020 and compared it to the same period of 2019. Data for our analysis were extracted from the NCI Hospital Information System (HIS) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Contingency table analysis and ANOVA were performed. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the cancer services provided by NCI. Reductions in diagnostic radiology (-16%) and endoscopy (-29%) procedures were accompanied by a decreased number of patients with ongoing medical (-30%), radiation (-6%) or surgical (-10%) treatment. The changes in the number of newly diagnosed cancer patients were dependent on tumor type and disease stage, showing a rise in advanced disease at diagnosis already during the early period of the first lockdown. The extent of out-patient consultations (-14%) and disease follow-up visits (-16%) was also affected by the pandemic, and only referrals to psychological/psychiatric counselling were increased. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the structure of cancer services by fostering the application of modified systemic anticancer therapy or hypofractionated radiotherapy. The most dramatic drop occurred in the number of patients participating in cancer prevention programs; the loss was 25% for colon cancer and 62% for breast cancer screening. Marked restriction in access to preventive cancer screening and overall reduction of the whole spectrum of cancer services may negatively affect cancer survival measures in the nearest future.

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Management During One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) during 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The management of men with PCa during COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-2021) was compared with the clinical activity of the 12 months before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2019-2020). RESULTS: The number of clinical visits, prostate biopsy, and men enrolled in active surveillance was significantly lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.05); on the contrary, the number of cases with advanced (pT3b: 11.2 vs. 25.6%; nodal positive: 14.8 vs. 46.1%) and metastatic (5.9 vs. 9.3%) PCa increased. The number of open radical prostatectomies increased compared with the ones using a laparoscopic approach; moreover, more men were treated with external radiotherapy (25.1 vs. 54.2%). CONCLUSION: The guideline recommendations in the management of PCa should constantly adapt to the epidemiological evolution, but the overall cost of delayed diagnosis will increase in the near future.

COVID-19 and cancer: Sailing through the tides.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 with its rapid expansion has led to extraordinary implications in our understanding of viral infections and their management globally. In this current scenario of unusual circumstances and public health emergency, the cancer care per se is facing unprecedented challenges. The peculiarity of the SARS-CoV-2 infections is still being uncovered as the pandemic spreads across the populations than showing signs of its curtailment. The review highlights the significance of idiosyncrasy of the SARS-Cov-2 infection especially putting forth the importance of immunosenescence, both in the COVID-19 specific immune response in the infected lungs of the elderly and in the cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.The focus of the article is directed towards demystifying the unparalleled essence of a proprotein convertase, Furin in the biology of the SARS-Cov-2 infection and its role in facilitating viral transmission through expedited cellular entry into alveolar epithelial cells in COVID-19 infected cancer patients. The risk stratification of the cancer treatment and guidelines shaped up by national and international oncology societies in providing uncompromised patient care during the COVID-19 crisis have also been addressed. The global efforts towards vaccination in developing SARS CoV-2 immunity are also discussed in this article.

Narrative review of lung cancer treatment at the time of COVID-19 pandemia: pitfall and issues.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has caused disruption in cancer care and research, changing daily management approach of cancer patients, above all for those affected by lung cancer disease. Unfortunately, its length and severity beyond today is still uncertain. This emerged viral pandemic has produced severe illness to overwhelm healthcare infrastructure, with worse impact on public health system and on providers of essential community services, and needing to ration medical equipment and interventions. Several data from across the world highlighted the susceptibility of patients affected by tumors to high severe infection and mortality from COVID-19. Lung cancer patients emerged as "frail" subgroup, mainly attributable to their immunosuppression, co-existing medical conditions and underlying pulmonary compromise. So, the lung cancer care was confounded by urgent need for intervention for most patients and the competing risk of life-threatening COVID-19 infection, and also influenced by competing needs for personnel, beds and equipment for urgent COVID-19 care. Clearly, no one model of care is possible during all pandemic phases or in all medical environments. In this review we will discuss on available data and their impact on prioritizing the individual management for lung cancer patients, with aim to protect them from COVID-19.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Ovarian Cancer Management: Adjusting to the New Normal.

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As the world faces the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, the oncology community is being impacted by unprecedented challenges. During this trying time, patients with ovarian cancer (OC) have been affected by a delay in diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and oncology follow-ups being conducted via telemedicine instead of in-person visits. OC patients and their oncologists are balancing the fears of COVID-19 and cancer treatment with the consequences of delaying cancer care. The delay in treatment care that women with OC are experiencing has resulted in higher levels of cancer worry, anxiety, and depression. In this article, we succinctly review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment and ongoing clinical trials of OC. We also discuss the psychological effects of COVID-19 on women with OC and alternative therapeutic strategies to limit in-person hospital visits to reduce the spread of the disease, and the impact of COVID-19 on OC patients.

Implications of COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer management: A multidisciplinary perspective.

Treatment of patients with lung cancer during the current COVID-19 pandemic is challenging. Lung cancer is a heterogenous disease with a wide variety of therapeutic options. Oncologists have to determine the risks and benefits of modifying the treatment plans of patients especially in situation where the disease biology and treatment are complex. Health care visits carry a risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the similarities of COVID-19 symptoms and lung cancer manifestations represent a dominant problem. Efforts to modify treatment of lung cancer during the current pandemic have been adapted by many healthcare institutes to reduce exposure of lung cancer patients to SARS-CoV-2. We summarized the implications of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of lung cancer from the perspective of different specialties of thoracic oncology multidisciplinary team.

Covid-19 in patients with hematological and solid cancers at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer are considered a high-risk group for viral pneumonia, with an increased probability of fatal outcome. Here, we investigated the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with solid and hematological cancers and concomitant Covid-19 at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in a Covid-19 hotspot area in Germany. METHODS: We performed a retrospective single center cohort study of 39 patients with hematological and solid cancers who were hospitalized at the University Hospital Freiburg for Covid-19. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models we compared time to severe events and overall survival to an age-matched control cohort of 39 patients with confirmed Covid-19 without a cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: In the cancer cohort 29 patients had a diagnosis of a solid tumor, and 10 had a hematological malignancy. In total, eight patients (21%) in the cancer and 14 patients (36%) from the noncancer cohort died during the observation period. Presence of a malignancy was not significantly associated with survival or time to occurrence of severe events. Major influences on mortality were high IL-6 levels at Covid-19 diagnosis (HR = 6.95, P = .0121) and age ≥ 65 years (HR = 6.22, P = .0156). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to an age-matched noncancer cohort, we did not observe an association between a cancer diagnosis and a more severe disease course or higher fatality rate in patients with Covid-19. Patients with a hematological malignancy showed a trend towards a longer duration until clinical improvement and longer hospitalization time compared to patients with a solid cancer. Cancer per se does not seem to be a confounder for dismal outcome in Covid-19.

Alternative management for gynecological cancer care during the COVID-2019 pandemic: A Latin American survey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the acceptance rate of treatment alternatives for women with either preinvasive conditions or gynecologic cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic among Latin American gynecological cancer specialists. METHODS: Twelve experts in gynecological cancer designed an electronic survey, according to recommendations from international societies, using an online platform. The survey included 22 questions on five topics: consultation care, preinvasive cervical pathology, and cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. The questionnaire was distributed to 1052 specialists in 14 Latin American countries. A descriptive analysis was carried out using statistical software. RESULTS: A total of 610 responses were received, for an overall response rate of 58.0%. Respondents favored offering teleconsultation as triage for post-cancer treatment follow-up (94.6%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (95.6%), and total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and defining adjuvant treatment with histopathological features in early stage endometrial cancer (85.4%). Other questions showed agreement rates of over 64%, except for review of pathology results in person and use of upfront concurrent chemoradiation for early stage cervical cancer (disagreement 56.4% and 58.9%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Latin American specialists accepted some alternative management strategies for gynecological cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may reflect the region's particularities. The COVID-19 pandemic led Latin American specialists to accept alternative management strategies for gynecological cancer care, especially regarding surgical decisions.

Time for a Paradigm Shift in Head and Neck Cancer Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused physicians and surgeons to consider restructuring traditional cancer management paradigms. We aim to review the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of head and neck cancer, with an emphasis on the role of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) during a pandemic. DATA SOURCES: COVID-19 resources from PubMed, Google Scholar, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Head and Neck Society were examined. REVIEW METHODS: Studies and guidelines related to the multidisciplinary management of head and neck cancer in the COVID-19 setting were reviewed. A total of 54 studies were included. Given the continuously evolving body of literature, the sources cited include the latest statements from medical and dental societies. RESULTS: The unpredictable fluctuation of hospital resources and the risk of the nosocomial spread of SARS-CoV-2 have direct effects on head and neck cancer management. Using an MDT approach to help define "essential surgery" for immediately life- or function-threatening disease processes in the context of available hospital resources will help to maximize outcomes. Early enrollment in an MDT is often critical for considering nonsurgical options to protect patients and health care workers. The role of the MDT continues after cancer treatment, if delivered, and the MDT plays an essential role in surveillance and survivorship programs in these challenging times. CONCLUSION: Head and neck cancer management during the COVID-19 pandemic poses a unique challenge for all specialists involved. Early MDT involvement is important to maximize patient outcomes and satisfaction in the context of public and community safety.