Psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic among women with and without breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment delays in combination with general social distancing practices to reduce transmission may have negative impacts on the mental health of women with breast cancer who may need more social and emotional support. We sought to elucidate the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among women with and without breast cancer in New York City. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study among women aged 18+ across the spectrum of breast health care at New York Presbyterian (NYP)-Weill Cornell, NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and NYP-Queens. Women were contacted between June and October 2021 to assess their self-reported depression, stress, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared women who were recently diagnosed, those with a history of breast cancer, and women without cancer whose other health visits were delayed during the pandemic. RESULTS: There were 85 women who completed the survey. Breast cancer survivors (42%) were the least likely to report a delay in care due to COVID compared to breast cancer patients who were recently diagnosed (67%) and women without cancer (67%). Compared to women without cancer and breast cancer survivors, women recently diagnosed with breast cancer reported higher levels of anxiety and depression with a statistically significant difference in perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need to identify and risk-stratify patients facing a new breast cancer diagnosis in and around the COVID-19 pandemic who may benefit from additional resources to mitigate the adverse impacts of the pandemic and a breast cancer diagnosis on psychosocial health.

Impact of COVID-19 on health care and quality of life in women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to explore the impact of COVID-19 on health-care services and quality of life (QoL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) in Ireland and whether the impact varied by social determinants of health (SDH). METHODS: Women diagnosed with BC completed a questionnaire measuring the impact of COVID-19, disruption to BC services, QoL, SDH, and clinical covariates during COVID-19 restrictions. The association between COVID-19 impact and disruption to BC services and QoL was assessed using multivariable regression with adjustment for SDH and clinical covariates. An interaction between COVID-19 impact and health insurance status was assessed within the regression models. RESULTS: A total of 30.5% (n = 109) of women reported high COVID-19 impact, and these women experienced more disruption in BC services (odds ratio = 4.95, 95% confidence interval = 2.28 to 10.7, P < .001) and lower QoL (ß = -12.01, SE = 3.37, P < .001) compared with women who reported low COVID-19 impact. Health insurance status moderated the effect of COVID-19 on disruption to BC services and QoL. Women who reported high COVID-19 impact experienced more disruption to BC services and lower QoL compared with women with low COVID-19 impact; however, the magnitude of these unfavorable effects differed by insurance status (Pinteraction < .05). CONCLUSIONS: There was a large disruption to BC services and decrease in QoL for women with BC in Ireland during the pandemic. However, the impact was not the same for all women. It is important that women with BC are reintegrated into proper care and QoL is addressed through multidisciplinary support services.

An exploratory cross-sectional study of the effects of ongoing relationships with accompanying patients on cancer care experience, self-efficacy, and psychological distress.

BACKGROUND: Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal in Canada introduced accompanying patients (APs) into the breast cancer care trajectory. APs are patients who have been treated for breast cancer and have been integrated into the clinical team to expand the services offered to people affected by cancer. This study describes the profiles of the people who received the support and explores whether one-offs vs ongoing encounters with APs influence their experience of care, on self-efficacy in coping with cancer, and on their level of psychological distress. METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional study was carried out among patients to compare patients who had one encounter with an AP (G1) with those who had had several encounters (G2). Five questionnaires were administered on socio-demographic characteristics, care pathway, evaluation of the support experience, self-efficacy in coping with cancer, and level of psychological distress. Logbooks, completed by the APs, determined the number of encounters. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations between the number of encounters, patient characteristics, care pathway, number of topics discussed, self-efficacy measures in coping with cancer, and level of psychological distress. RESULTS: Between April 2020 and December 2021, 60% of 535 patients who were offered support from an AP accepted. Of these, one hundred and twenty-four patients participated in the study. The study aimed to recruit a minimum of 70 patients with the expectation of obtaining at least 50 participants, assuming a response rate of 70%. There were no differences between G1 and G2 in terms of sociodemographic data and care pathways. Statistical differences were found between G1 and G2 for impacts on and the return to daily life (p = 0.000), the return to the work and impacts on professional life (p = 0.044), announcement of a diagnosis to family and friends (p = 0.033), and strategies for living with treatment under the best conditions (p = 0.000). Significant differences were found on the topics of cancer (p = 0.000), genetic testing (p = 0.023), therapeutic options (p = 0.000), fatigue following treatment (p = 0.005), pain and discomfort after treatment or surgery (p = 0.000), potential emotions and their management (p = 0.000) and the decision-making processes (p = 0.011). A significant relationship was found between the two groups for patients' ability to cope with cancer (p = 0.038), and their level of psychological distress at different stages of the care pathway (p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows differences between one-time and ongoing support for cancer patients. It highlights the potential for APs to help patients develop self-efficacy and cope with the challenges of cancer treatment.

Implementation of weekday time-restricted eating to improve metabolic health in breast cancer survivors with overweight/obesity.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of telephone-based delivery of weekday-only time-restricted eating (TRE), its preliminary efficacy for metabolic outcomes, and concurrent lifestyle changes. METHODS: Twenty-two breast cancer survivors aged 60+ years with overweight/obesity completed an 8-week feasibility study of 12 to 8 p.m. weekday-only ad libitum TRE. The intervention was delivered by one registered dietitian call, twice-daily automated text messages asking about eating start and stop times, and three support phone calls. Magnetic resonance imaging, venipuncture, and 3 days of diet records and accelerometry were performed at baseline and after intervention. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 66 (SD 5) years with BMI of 31.8 (4.8) kg/m2 . Intervention implementation was successful, including excellent adherence (98%), participant acceptability, and a low symptom profile and cost ($63/participant). There were no significant changes in individual components of metabolic syndrome, lipid profile, or hemoglobin A1c , despite clinically relevant changes occurring within individual participants. Magnetic resonance imaging-derived hepatic steatosis and thigh myosteatosis did not change. Dietary intake changes included reduced energy (-22%) and protein (-0.2 g/kg). Physical activity and sleep did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks of telephone-delivered weekday TRE is a feasible, acceptable, low-symptom, and low-cost intervention. Future studies may consider a longer intervention length for more consistent metabolic improvements and counseling to enhance protein intake.

Delayed Diagnosis and Prognostic Impact of Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Breast screening services were suspended for several months owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We estimated the potential impact on breast cancer mortality using long-term global observations. However, the magnitude of the impact may vary across countries; therefore, we conducted an analysis and modeling study of this impact in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the clinicopathological features of breast cancers between the nonpandemicgroup (April 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019) and the pandemic group (April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020). We also compared the estimated 10-year survival rates between the two groups based on the weighted average of the 10-year survival rate by clinical stage and site (2004-2007). RESULTS: Results...Pandemic-related disruption decreased the number of breast cancer cases from296 to 249 during both 7-month periods. The percentage of patients with stage IIB or higher disease was significantly higher in the pandemic group than in the non-pandemic group (22.0% vs. 31.3%, P = 0.0133). The percentage of cases with a Ki-67 labeling index higher than 20% tended to be higher in the pandemic group than in the non-pandemic group (62.2% vs. 54.4%). The estimated 10-year survival rate was lower in the pandemic group than in the non-pandemic group (83.9% vs. 87.9%, 95% confidence interval of the difference: 0.87-8.8, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found more aggressive and advanced disease afterthe suspension of breast cancer screening services owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. This may have affected the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with breast cancer.

Breast Cancer and SARS-Cov2: Lessons from a Pandemic.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced drastic containment measures, which had a direct impact on breast cancer management. During the first wave, a delay in care and a decrease in new consultation numbers was observed. It would be interesting to study the resulting long-term consequences on breast cancer presentation and time to first treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the surgery Department of the Anti-Cancer Center of Nice, France. Two periods of 6 months were compared: a pandemic period from June to December 2020 (after the end of the first wave), and a control period one year earlier. The primary endpoint was to measure the time to care access. The patients and cancer characteristics and the management type were also compared. RESULTS: A total of 268 patients underwent diagnosis for breast cancer in each period. The time from biopsy to consultation was shortened after the containment was lifted (16 days vs. 18 days, p=0.024). The time between first consultation and treatment was unchanged between the two periods. The tumor size was larger in the pandemic period (21 mm vs. 18 mm, p=0.028). The clinical presentation was different: 59.8% of patients consulted for a palpable mass in the pandemic period, vs. 49.6% in the control period (p=0.023). There was no significant change in therapeutic management. The use of genomic testing was significantly increased. The number of breast cancer cases diagnosed decreased by 30% during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Even though a rebound was expected after the first wave, the number of consultations for breast cancer remained constant. This finding shows the fragility of screening adherence. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to reinforce education in the face of crises that may be repeated. Management of breast cancer did not change, which is a reassuring aspect regarding the care pathway in anticancer centers.

Women's perception about the discovery of breast cancer amid the covid-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is considered a health problem at a worldwide level. In Brazil, the South and Southeast regions have the highest mortality rates. Understanding how they dealt with the diagnostic of a stigmatized disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential repercussions, may enable healthcare professionals to of life. Thus, this study is aimed at understanding the perception of women about the discovery of breast cancer and the impact of the disease on their lives. METHODS: A qualitative study, with the participation of forty women with breast cancer, under chemotherapy treatment. It was performed in a hospital specialized in oncology, in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, in 2020 and 2021. Data collection was carried out with semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed with Bardin Content Analysis. RESULTS: Based on the central theme "Discovery of the disease", these categories were developed: "Discovery" and "Impact of the disease". A large part of women noticed a change in the breast, even before routine checks. Upon the impact of cancer diagnosis, negative feelings arise, then going through a process of acceptance and coping. Some barriers were faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused delays in the diagnostic and impact caused by social isolation. Family, friends, and healthcare professionals integrated an important supporting network in order to help coping with the disease. CONCLUSION: The consequences of a breast cancer diagnosis can be devastating. It is necessary that healthcare professionals know and embrace the feelings, beliefs, and values as a part of the aspects related to health. Valuing the supporting network of women suffering from the disease may favor the process of accepting and coping with the neoplasm. The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighted as an obstacle to be overcome specially when it comes to diagnostic assistance and availability of a support network. In that sense, it is worth mentioning the importance of a healthcare team able to offer full assistance, with quality. The need of further studies to determine the impact of the pandemic in the long run.

Home-based exercise improves quality of life in breast and prostate cancer survivors: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast (BCa) and prostate (PCa) cancer are two of the most common but survivable cancers. One important component of survivorship that is impacted by treatment long term is diminished quality of life (QoL). Supervised exercise improves QoL and subsequent outcomes but is not accessible for all survivors. Additionally, many factors influence QoL including physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), physical function, and fatigue. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to increase access to exercise beyond supervised exercise facilities. Home-based exercise may provide a feasible alternative for cancer survivors especially for those living in rural communities. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim is to investigate the effects of home-based exercise training (Pre-training vs. Post-training) on QoL in BCa/PCa. A secondary aim is to investigate PA, CRF, physical function, and fatigue and potential moderators (age, cancer-type, intervention duration and type). Home-based exercise trials (randomized crossover or quasi-experimental design) with adults (aged 18 years and over) breast or prostate cancer survivors (not currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment) were eligible for inclusion. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases were searched (inception-December 2022) for studies which included adult BCa or PCa survivors (not currently on chemotherapy/radiation), at least measured QoL, and undergoing unsupervised, home-based exercise training. APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Initially, 819 studies were identified, from which 17 studies (20 effects) involving 692 participants were extracted. Effect sizes were calculated as standardized mean differences (SMD). Data were pooled using a 3-level model with restricted maximum likelihood estimation. Pooled SMD was used to assess the magnitude of effect, where <0.2, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 was defined as trivial, small, moderate, and large respectively. RESULTS: Home-based exercise resulted in small improvements in QoL (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI 0.01, 0.60, p = 0.042), PA (SMD = 0.49, 95% CI 0.26, 0.75, p<0.001) and CRF (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI -0.01, 0.91, p = 0.056). Physical function (SMD = 0.00, 95% CI -0.21, 0.21, p = 1.000) and fatigue (SMD = -0.61, 95%CI -1.53, 0.32, p = 0.198) did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Home-based exercise results in small improves QoL in BCa/PCa survivors, independent of cancer type, intervention duration and type, or age. Home-based exercise also improves PA and CRF enhancing survivorship. Therefore, home-based exercise is an efficacious alternative option to improve QoL for BCa and PCa survivors especially for those who live in rural communities or lack access to exercise facilities.

The Effect of Vinyasa Yoga Practice on the Well-Being of Breast-Cancer Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Vinyasa yoga practice improves body fitness and potentially positively affects practitioners' well-being and health. Due to the diverse intensity of practice and positions customized to the practitioner's needs, it can also support cancer patients. Undertaking physical activity that has a potentially positive effect on well-being and health was particularly important during the self-isolation that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of three-month mild and moderate intensity vinyasa yoga practice on breast-cancer patients' stress perception, self-confidence, and sleep quality during COVID-19 induced self-isolation. METHODS: Female breast-cancer patients participated in twelve-weeks of online vinyasa practice during the COVID-19 induced self-isolation period. Meetings were held once a week, where 60-min vinyasa yoga sequences were followed by 15 min of relaxation. Patients completed pre- and post-intervention surveys to evaluate changes in the following outcomes: stress perception, self-confidence, and sleep quality. Forty-one female patients enrolled in the Vinyasa course completed the pre-intervention survey, while 13 attended all the meetings and completed the post-intervention survey. RESULTS: The effect of the twelve-week yoga and relaxation practice significantly reduced sleep problems and stress of oncological patients. The participants also declared an improvement in their general well-being and self-acceptance. CONCLUSION: Dynamic forms of yoga combined with mindfulness techniques can be applied to patients treated for oncological diseases. It contributes to improving their well-being. However, in-depth studies are needed to analyze the complexity of this effect.

Supporting patients and clinicians during the breast cancer care path with AI: The Arianna solution.

The onset of cancer disease is a traumatic experience for both patients and their families that suddenly change the patient's life and is accompanied by important physical, emotional, and psycho-social problems. The complexity of this scenario has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which dramatically affected the continuity of the provision of optimal care to chronic patients. Telemedicine can support the management of oncology care paths by furnishing a suite of effective and efficient tools to monitor the therapies of cancer patients. In particular, this is a suitable setting for therapies that are administered at home. In this paper, we present an AI-based system, called Arianna, designed and implemented to support and monitor patients treated by the professionals belonging to the Breast Cancer Unit Network (BCU-Net) along the entire clinical path of breast cancer treatment. We describe in this work the three modules composing the Arianna system (the tools for patients and clinicians, and the symbolic AI-based module). The system has been validated in a qualitative way and we demonstrated how the Arianna solution reached a high level of acceptability by all types of end-users by making it suitable for a concrete integration into the daily practice of the BCU-Net.

Quality of life of early-stage breast-cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the first three waves of the epidemic treated in the Spanish region of Navarre.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the Quality of Life (QOL) of breast-cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and analyse its evolution, compare the QOL of these patients according to the COVID-19 wave in which they were diagnosed, and examine the clinical and demographic determinants of QOL. METHODS: A total of 260 patients with breast cancer (90.8% I-III stages) and COVID-19 (85% light/moderate) were included (February-September 2021) in this study. Most patients were receiving anticancer treatment (mainly hormonotherapy). Patients were grouped according to the date of COVID-19 diagnosis: first wave (March-May 2020, 85 patients), second wave (June-December 2020, 107 patients) and third wave (January-September 2021, 68 patients). Quality of Life was assessed 10 months, 7 months, and 2 weeks after these dates, respectively. Patients completed QLQ-C30, QLQ-BR45, and Oslo COVID-19 QLQ-PW80 twice over four months. Patients ≥65 also completed QLQ-ELD14. The QOL of each group and changes in QOL for the whole sample were compared (non-parametric tests). Multivariate logistic regression identified patient characteristics related to (1) low global QOL and (2) changes in Global QOL between assessments. RESULTS: Moderate limitations (>30 points) appeared in the first assessment in Global QOL, sexual scales, three QLQ-ELD14 scales, and 13 symptoms and emotional COVID-19 areas. Differences between the COVID-19 groups appeared in two QLQ-C30 areas and four QLQ-BR45 areas. Quality of Life improvements between assessments appeared in six QLQ-C30, four QLQ-BR45 and 18 COVID-19 questionnaire areas. The best multivariate model to explain global QOL combined emotional functioning, fatigue, endocrine treatment, gastrointestinal symptoms, and targeted therapy (R2  = 0.393). The best model to explain changes in global QOL combined physical and emotional functioning, malaise, and sore eyes (R2  = 0.575). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with breast cancer and COVID-19 adapted well to illness. The few differences between wave-based groups (differences in follow-up notwithstanding) may have arisen because the second and third waves saw fewer COVID restrictions, more positive COVID information, and more vaccinated patients.

[Experiences of patients with cancer during the first COVID-19 lockdown: What was the impact on the patients' healthcare pathway, mental condition, and access to supportive care in cancer?] / Ressenti des patients atteints de cancer pendant le premier confinement COVID-19 : quel impact sur le parcours de soins, l'état mental et l'accès aux soins oncologiques de support ?

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the organisation of the healthcare system. Very little data is available regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients' perceptions of their healthcare pathway. The objective of this survey was to evaluate cancer patients' perceptions of the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on continuity of care, their mental condition, as well as their access to Supportive Care in Cancer (SCC). METHODS: Between June 2nd and 30th, 2020, an anonymous questionnaire was sent out to the patients who visited 17 healthcare establishments in the Centre-Val de Loire region. RESULTS: Our survey questioned 861 patients, amongst which 839 were selected. The population was predominantly female (58%). Breast cancer was the most represented (27%). Approximately three patients out of four considered that their care was maintained during the lockdown. In total, 348 patients (44%) reported an altered mental status. Approximately 1/4th of patients benefited from SCC. More than half of the patients felt that SCC was not relevant to their situation, although 40% of these patients expressed mental issues. CONCLUSION: Our survey highlighted a negative impact on patients' mental condition and a low use of SCC in spite of existing needs. This demonstrates the necessity of evaluating the patients' needs and offering adequate SCC at various stages of the healthcare pathway, as well as the need for a clearly identifiable offer for the healthcare professionals and the patients.

Pandemic Phase-Adjusted Analysis of COVID-19 Outcomes Reveals Reduced Intrinsic Vulnerability and Substantial Vaccine Protection From Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Patients With Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Although representing the majority of newly diagnosed cancers, patients with breast cancer appear less vulnerable to COVID-19 mortality compared with other malignancies. In the absence of patients on active cancer therapy included in vaccination trials, a contemporary real-world evaluation of outcomes during the various pandemic phases, as well as of the impact of vaccination, is needed to better inform clinical practice. METHODS: We compared COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among patients with breast cancer across prevaccination (February 27, 2020-November 30, 2020), Alpha-Delta (December 1, 2020-December 14, 2021), and Omicron (December 15, 2021-January 31, 2022) phases using OnCovid registry participants (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04393974). Twenty-eight-day case fatality rate (CFR28) and COVID-19 severity were compared in unvaccinated versus double-dosed/boosted patients (vaccinated) with inverse probability of treatment weighting models adjusted for country of origin, age, number of comorbidities, tumor stage, and receipt of systemic anticancer therapy within 1 month of COVID-19 diagnosis. RESULTS: By the data lock of February 4, 2022, the registry counted 613 eligible patients with breast cancer: 60.1% (n = 312) hormone receptor-positive, 25.2% (n = 131) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, and 14.6% (n = 76) triple-negative. The majority (61%; n = 374) had localized/locally advanced disease. Median age was 62 years (interquartile range, 51-74 years). A total of 193 patients (31.5%) presented ≥ 2 comorbidities and 69% (n = 330) were never smokers. In total, 392 (63.9%), 164 (26.8%), and 57 (9.3%) were diagnosed during the prevaccination, Alpha-Delta, and Omicron phases, respectively. Analysis of CFR28 demonstrates comparable estimates of mortality across the three pandemic phases (13.9%, 12.2%, 5.3%, respectively; P = .182). Nevertheless, a significant improvement in outcome measures of COVID-19 severity across the three pandemic time periods was observed. Importantly, when reported separately, unvaccinated patients from the Alpha-Delta and Omicron phases achieved comparable outcomes to those from the prevaccination phase. Of 566 patients eligible for the vaccination analysis, 72 (12.7%) were fully vaccinated and 494 (87.3%) were unvaccinated. We confirmed with inverse probability of treatment weighting multivariable analysis and following a clustered robust correction for participating center that vaccinated patients achieved improved CFR28 (odds ratio [OR], 0.19; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.40), hospitalization (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.69), COVID-19 complications (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.45), and reduced requirement of COVID-19-specific therapy (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.63) and oxygen therapy (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.67) compared with unvaccinated controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight a consistent reduction of COVID-19 severity in patients with breast cancer during the Omicron outbreak in Europe. We also demonstrate that even in this population, a complete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination course is a strong determinant of improved morbidity and mortality from COVID-19.

Impact of the CALM intervention on breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected breast cancer patients both physically and mentally. Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) is a psychological intervention that is easy to implement. It also decreases the possibility of virus transmission because it can be administered online. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of CALM on the sleep quality, memory, psychological distress, and quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Sixty breast cancer patients were recruited and randomly assigned to a CALM group and a Care as Usual (CAU) group. They filled in questionnaires before and after the CALM intervention and CAU. These included the Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), Prospective Memory Scale (PM), Retrospective Memory Scale (RM), Psychological Distress Thermometer (DT), and Quality of life (QoL) Scale. RESULTS: The scores of all the aforementioned scales after the CALM intervention (ACM) were significantly lower compared to the said scores before the CALM intervention (BCM) and after Care as Usual (ACU) (t = 12.369/8.013, t = 8.632/4.583, t = 7.500/6.900, t = 12.479/9.780, t = 12.224/6.729 respectively, P < 0.05) There was a linear correlation between the QoL, DT, and SQS scores. CONCLUSION: CALM is an effective psychotherapy for breast cancer patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, for improving the QoL because it relieves psychological distress and enhances sleep quality.

Primary therapy of early breast cancer: Egyptian view of 2021 St. Gallen consensus.

PURPOSE: The theme of the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference 2021 held virtually for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was on tailoring therapies for patients with early breast cancer. A monkey survey that included an Egyptian Panel voted on most of the questions of the original St. Gallen consensus, and some added new questions most relevant to oncology practice in the country, to be able to compare voting results that reflect differences in breast cancer management and decision making. METHODS: The panel included 74 Egyptian scientists from different oncology specialties. Management issues including controversial diagnostic and therapeutic interventions were prepared by a small committee and then projected using the online monkey survey website: https://www.surveymonkey.com . The survey included 130 questions. Results were then analyzed, tabulated, and compared to the voting results of the original St. Gallen consensus. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Voting questions and resulting percentages of answers from the Egyptian panel were summarized. There was no consensus between the Egyptian and the original St. Gallen panels on 28/130 statements. They mostly included genetic and pathologic aspects, specifically the routine use of gene signature assays and a few queries involving surgical, radiotherapeutic, and systemic interventions. Probably, available resources and healthcare system differences in Egypt compared to European and the USA were the cause of these differences. This would also be applicable to other low- and low-middle-income healthcare scenarios present in many countries, especially with the present constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes in breast cancer staging trends among Egyptian women after COVID-19: A retrospective single-center study.

OBJECTIVES: Since being declared a global pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a significant impact on the entire globe. The pandemic has placed a heavy burden on healthcare systems worldwide, and cancer patients are particularly prone. Despite the fact that initial international reports suggest delays in breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and screening programs, the Egyptian context requires additional research on this topic. To examine whether COVID-19 has changed the pattern of disease presentation before and after the pandemic, focusing on the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) staging of the disease at the initial presentation. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study of female BC patients initially diagnosed at Baheya Foundation was conducted during the following time frames: from Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 (Pre COVID-19 cohort) and from Mar 2020 to Mar 2021 (post-COVID-19 cohort). We compared the two cohorts in terms of clinical characteristics, tumor characteristics, and the number of days from presentation to treatment. Our primary endpoint was the difference in the TNM stage of BC at the initial presentation. RESULTS: This analysis included 710 BC patients, 350 from the pre-COVID cohort and 360 from the post-COVID group. We detected a 27.9% increase in late-stage BC (stages III-IV) in the post-pandemic cohort compared to the pre-pandemic (60.1% vs. 47%, p < 0.001). The time from diagnosis to commencement of treatment was significantly longer (28.34 ± 18.845 vs 36.04 ± 23.641 days, p < 0.001) in the post-COVID cohort (mean difference = 7.702, 95% CI 4.54-10.85, p < 0.001). A higher percentage of patients in the post-pandemic cohort received systemic neoadjuvant therapy (p-value for Exact's test for all treatment options = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The number of patients requiring systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy increased dramatically in the post-pandemic group with advanced stages of BC at presentation. This study highlights the need for proper management of cancer patients during any future pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 in Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening and Systemic Treatment in São Paulo, Brazil: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

PURPOSE: COVID-19 caused a disruption in cancer management around the world, resulting in an estimated excess burden secondary to screening disruption and excess lag time for treatment initiation. METHODS: We gathered information from primary reimbursement data sets of the public health system of São Paulo, Brazil, from April 2020 to November 2021, and compared these data with those of the pre-COVID-19 period. We used an interrupted time series model to estimate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of key procedures of breast and cervical cancer health care chain. RESULTS: We estimated that 1,149,727, 2,693, and 713,616 pap smears, conizations, and mammograms, respectively, were missed or delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with those in the years immediately before the COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions. Specifically, we observed an acute decrease of procedures after the COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions, with a trend to recovery in the long term. Regarding the systemic treatment analysis, we observed a 25% reduction in the rate of initiation of adjuvant systemic treatment for early breast cancer (stage I/II). However, we did not find a clear effect on the other settings of systemic treatment for breast cancer. We estimated an excess of 156 patients starting palliative care for cervical cancer after the COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the performance rate of pap smears, conizations, and mammograms. The initiation of adjuvant treatment for early-stage breast cancer was most susceptible to COVID-19's health system disruption. Furthermore, the downward trend of treatment of advanced cervical cancer was interrupted. Therefore, public health policies are urgently needed to decrease the incidence of advanced cervical and breast cancers caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation.The COVID-19 control policies resulted in reduction of cancer patients' delivery of care. This study evaluated the pandemic's influence in key procedures of breast and cervical cancer chain of care in São Paulo, Brazil. We observed a substantial reduction in the number of mammograms, pap smears, and conizations performed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, stage I and II breast cancer adjuvant treatment presented a reduced realization rate, whereas palliative treatment delivered for advanced cervical cancer increased. Our results support the need for public health policies focused on mitigating the long-term effects of COVID-19 in cancer-related mortality.

Supporting a patient with learning disabilities through screening and treatment for primary breast cancer.

This article presents a case study evaluation of supporting a patient with learning disabilities through the NHS Breast Screening Programme diagnostic pathway and subsequent treatments for breast cancer. The process encompassed best interests meetings and treatment planning, surgeries, chemotherapy and anti-Her2 treatments, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy. Problems that occurred during this period included issues around completing surgery, managing chemotherapy treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the feasibility and tolerance of radiotherapy. The role of a breast care nurse in this patient's pathway was to facilitate treatment, support the patient and her family, and to liaise with the wider nursing and medical teams to coordinate care.