Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timing of surgical triage, tumor stage, and therapy of patients with colon carcinoma.

PURPOSE: With the onset of the COVID pandemic in Germany in March 2020, far-reaching restrictions were imposed that limited medical access for patients. Screening examinations such as colonoscopies were greatly reduced in number. As rapid surgical triage after diagnosis is prognostic, our hypothesis was that pandemic-related delays would increase the proportion of advanced colon cancers with an overall sicker patient population. METHODS: A total of 204 patients with initial diagnosis of colon cancer were analyzed in this retrospective single-center study between 03/01/2018 and 03/01/2022. Control group (111 patients, pre-COVID-19) and the study group (93 patients, during COVID-19) were compared in terms of tumor stages, surgical therapy, complications, and delays in the clinical setting. The data were presented either as absolute numbers or as median for constant data. RESULTS: A trend towards more advanced tumor stages (T4a p = 0.067) and a significant increase of emergency surgeries (p = 0.016) with higher rates of ileus and perforation (p = 0.004) as well as discontinuity resections (p = 0.049) during the pandemic could be observed. Delays in surgical triage after endoscopic diagnosis were seen during the 2nd lockdown (02/11/20-26/12/20; p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: In summary, the results suggest delayed treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the infection pattern of COVID appearing to have a major impact on the time between endoscopic diagnosis and surgical triage/surgery. Adequate care of colon cancer patients is possible even during a pandemic, but it is important to focus on structured screening and tight diagnosis to treatment schedules in order to prevent secondary pandemic victims.

Endoscopic evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Observational study of the experience in community practices.

Endoscopic screening is used widely to minimize the rates of colorectal cancer cases and deaths. During highly virulent infectious disease pandemics such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is essential to weigh the risks and benefits of receiving endoscopy, especially in regions with moderately high viral infection rates. An observational study was conducted to assess the number of patients seen for endoscopic procedure at 2 of our surgery centers. Reasons for their procedure were collected in addition to information regarding any positive COVID-19 cases. This study considers the rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection along with the number of colorectal cancer cases encountered at a community endoscopy center to suggest that the benefits of undergoing endoscopic evaluation may outweigh the risks of attending an endoscopy procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the main reasons patients underwent endoscopic procedure was for colon cancer screenings (41.9%), and 5 of 1020 patients seen during the observation period were diagnosed with cancer. Of these 1020 patients, 8 were found to have positive tests for COVID-19 within 2 to 4 weeks after their procedure.

The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on elective surgery for colon cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study presents the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on elective surgical treatment of patients diagnosed with colon cancer, in a University Clinic of Surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data from patients who underwent an elective surgery procedure for colon cancer during the pandemic period (26.02.2020-01.10.2021) was analyzed. This period was compared with the same interval for the years 2016-2017 and 2018-2019. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in the number of patients that underwent an elective surgery for colon cancer during the pandemic. The Covid-19 generated pandemic has influenced the number of days from diagnosis to treatment, preoperative and postoperative hospitalization. There was an increase in the number of patients with severe symptoms, with complete or incomplete ileus. The number of lymphatic nodes harvested increased during the last period of study, being correlated with the advanced cancer stage. CONCLUSIONS: The Covid-19 pandemic had an influence on the management of the patients with colon cancer undergoing an elective surgery procedure. Firstly, their number decreased compared to the other periods, and they presented more severe symptoms. The duration of the surgical act was extended, but the postoperative stay was shortened. KEY WORDS: Colon cancer, Covid-19 Pandemic, Duration of surgery, Elective surgery.

The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 90-day mortality rate after emergency surgery for colon cancer.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the treatment of colon cancer. This was due to the redistribution of doctors and medical resources to empower the treatment of Sars-CoV-2-infected patients. Moreover, the restrictions imposed by the authorities on the general population and hospitals were other key elements that had to be taken into consideration. The surgical activity was massively reduced for both elective and emergency surgeries during the pandemic; initially, the elective ones were postponed. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 90-day postoperative mortality rate of patients who underwent emergency surgery for colon cancer in the First General Surgery Clinic of Pius Brinzeu County Hospital Timisoara. For conducting this study, data from patients who underwent emergency surgery for colon cancer between 26.02.2020-01.10.2021 and the same period of 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 were collected and analyzed, with a p<0.05 being considered statistically significant. As a result, the 90-days postoperative mortality rate increased to 34.5% during the pandemic. A 22.55% rate was observed during 2016-2017 and an 18.4% rate in 2018-2019. In addition, during the pandemic, correlations w ere identified between the presence of 90-day postoperative mortality and severe symptomatology when presenting to the hospital, stage of the disease, and Charlson comorbidity index. All these aspects influenced the 90-days mortality rate of patients undergoing emergency surgery to treat colon cancer during the pandemic.

Colonoscopic-Assisted Laparoscopic Wedge Resection for Colonic Lesions: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study (LIMERIC-Study).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a modified CAL-WR. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The use of segmental colectomy in patients with endoscopically unresectable colonic lesions results in significant morbidity and mortality. CAL-WR is an alternative procedure that may reduce morbidity. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study was performed in 13 Dutch hospitals between January 2017 and December 2019. Inclusion criteria were (1) colonic lesions inaccessible using current endoscopic resection techniques (judged by an expert panel), (2) non-lifting residual/recurrent adenomatous tissue after previous polypectomy or (3) an undetermined resection margin after endoscopic removal of a low-risk pathological T1 (pT1) colon carcinoma. Thirty-day morbidity, technical success rate and radicality were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 118 patients included (56% male, mean age 66 years, standard deviation ± 8 years), 66 (56%) had complex lesions unsuitable for endoscopic removal, 34 (29%) had non-lifting residual/recurrent adenoma after previous polypectomy and 18 (15%) had uncertain resection margins after polypectomy of a pT1 colon carcinoma. CAL-WR was technically successful in 93% and R0 resection was achieved in 91% of patients. Minor complications (Clavien-Dindo i-ii) were noted in 7 patients (6%) and an additional oncologic segmental resection was performed in 12 cases (11%). Residual tissue at the scar was observed in 5% of patients during endoscopic follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: CAL-WR is an effective, organ-preserving approach that results in minor complications and circumvents the need for major surgery. CAL-WR, therefore, deserves consideration when endoscopic excision of circumscribed lesions is impossible or incomplete.

Colon cancer treatment in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide register-based study.

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the capacity to diagnose and treat cancer worldwide due to the prioritization of COVID-19 treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate treatment and outcomes of colon cancer in Sweden before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In an observational study, using the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry, we included (i) all Swedish patients diagnosed with colon cancer, and (ii) all patients undergoing surgery for colon cancer, in 2016-2020. Incidence of colon cancer, treatments and outcomes in 2020 were compared with 2019. RESULTS: The number of colon cancer cases in Sweden in April-May 2020 was 27% lower than the previous year, whereas no difference was observed on an annual level (4,589 vs. 4,763 patients [-4%]). Among patients with colon cancer undergoing surgery in 2020, the proportion of resections was 93 vs. 94% in 2019, with no increase in acute resections. Time from diagnosis to elective surgery decreased (29 days vs. 33 days in 2020 vs. 2019). In 2020, more patients underwent a two-stage procedure with a diverting stoma as first surgery (6.1%) vs. (4.4%) in 2019 (p = 0.0020) and more patients were treated with preoperative chemotherapy (5.1%) vs. (3,5%) 2019 (p = 0.0016). The proportion of patients that underwent laparoscopic surgery increased from 54% to 58% (p = 0.0017) There were no differences in length of stay, surgical complications, reoperation, ICU-stay or 30-day mortality between the years. CONCLUSION: Based on nationwide annual data, we did not observe adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on colon cancer treatment and short time outcomes in Sweden.

Results of surgical treatment of uncomplicated colon cancer: case series with follow-up / Resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico del cáncer de colon no complicado: serie de casos con seguimiento

SUMMARY: The standard treatment of colonic cancer (CC) continues to be the radical resection of the intestinal segment compromised with free margins, associated or not with adjuvant therapies. The aim of this study was to determine postoperative morbidity (POM) and 5-year overall survival (OS) in patients with uncomplicated colon cancer surgically treated. Retrospective case series of patients with uncomplicated CC undergoing colectomy and lymphadenectomy, consecutively, at Clínica Red Salud Mayor Temuco, between 2007 and 2019. The outcomes variable were POM and 5-years OS. Other variables of interest were surgical time, number of resected lymph nodes, hospital stay and recurrence. Descriptive statistics was used (measures of central tendency and dispersion), and OS analysis was applying Kaplan Meier curves. In this study, 52 patients (53.8 % men) were intervened, with a median age of 68 years. The most frequent localization and stages were right colon (42.3 %); IIIA and IIIB respectively (78.9 %). Median surgical time, number of resected lymph nodes and hospital stay were 98 min, 34 and 4.5 days respectively. POM was 17.3 % (9 cases). With a median follow- up of 58 months, a recurrence of 19.2 % was verified, and the 5-year OS for stages IIA, IIIA, IIIB and IVA was 83.3 %, 73.6 %, 68.2 % and 40.0 % respectively. The results, in terms of POM, mortality and 5-year OS, were similar to national and international series.

RESUMEN: El tratamiento estándar del cáncer de colon (CC), continua siendo la resección radical del segmento intestinal comprometido con márgenes libres (al menos 5 cm por encima y debajo del tumor), pudiendo asociarse o no a terapias complementarias. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar morbilidad postoperatoria (MPO) y supervivencia actuarial global (SVAG) a 5 años en pacientes resecados por CC no complicado. Serie de casos con seguimiento, de pacientes con CC no complicado, sometidos a colectomía subtotal y linfadenectomía, de forma consecutiva, en Clínica Red Salud Mayor Temuco, entre 2007 y 2019. Las variables resultado fueron MPO y SV actuarial global (SVAG) a 5 años. Otras variables de interés fueron: tiempo quirúrgico, número de linfonodos resecados, estancia hospitalaria y recurrencia. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva, con medidas de tendencia central y dispersión; y análisis de SV con curvas de Kaplan Meier. Se intervinieron 52 pacientes (53,8 % hombres), con una mediana de edad de 68 años. La localización y estadios más frecuentes fueron colon derecho (42,3 %); IIIA y IIIB respectivamente (78,9 %). La resecabilidad de la serie fue 100 %. La medianas del tiempo quirúrgico, del número de linfonodos resecados y de estancia hospitalaria; fueron de 98 min, 34 y 4.5 días respectivamente. La MPO fue 17,3 % (9 casos). Con una mediana de seguimiento de 58 meses, se verificó una recurrencia de 19,2 %; y una SVAG a 5 años para los estadios IIA, IIIA, IIIB y IVA; de 83,3 %; 73,6 %; 68,2 % y 40,0 % respectivamente. Los resultados obtenidos, en términos de MPO, mortalidad y SVAG a 5 años, fueron similares a series de nacionales e internacionales.

Impact of the pandemic on surgical activity in colorectal cancer in Spain. Results of a national survey.

INTRODUCTION: The pandemic has had an impact on colorectal cancer surgery in hospitals. In 2020, up to 75% of colorectal cancer patients are estimated to require surgery. No objective data on the impact of the pandemic on the management of surgical waiting lists is available. We conducted a survey in colorectal surgery units to assess the impact on colorectal cancer surgery waiting lists. METHOD: All personnel in charge of colorectal surgery units nationwide received a survey (from February to April, 2020) with eight questions divided into three sections-cessation date of colorectal cancer surgeries, number of patients waiting for treatment, and use of neoadjuvant therapy to postpone surgery. RESULTS: Sixty-seven units participated in the study, with 79.1% of units ceasing some type of activity (32.8% total and 46.3% partial cessation) and 20.9% continuing all surgical activity. In addition, 65% of units used or prolonged neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer patients and 40% of units performed at least five emergency colorectal cancer surgeries. It was estimated that at least one month of intense surgical activity will be required to catch up. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, patients from units with a long waiting list must be redistributed, at least within the country. In the future, in the event of a second wave of the pandemic, an effective program to manage each unit's resources should be developed to prevent total collapse.

Candida albicans mycotic aneurysm of aortic arch following laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for colon cancer.

An 81-year-old man was referred to the colorectal surgeons for an elective laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for a caecal adenocarcinoma (T2N0M0). The operation was uneventful; however, 12 days postoperatively the patient developed symptoms of sepsis of unknown origin. After extensive investigations and work up, Candida albicans was grown as the causative organism with the site of infection being a new saccular mycotic aneurysm arising from the distal, posterior aspect of the aortic arch. The mycotic aneurysm was not initially considered as a differential diagnosis, and this case highlights the importance of consideration of mycotic aneurysm as a differential diagnosis in postsurgical septic patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elective Surgery for Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with colorectal cancer undergoing elective surgery. METHODS: The medical records of patients with colorectal cancer who underwent elective surgery in our department during the COVID-19 pandemic (February 1 to May 31, 2020) were collected and analyzed. We compared the clinical data with colorectal cancer during the same 4-month period in 2018 and 2019. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients with colorectal cancer underwent elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was 66% of the number of patients that underwent the procedure during the same period in 2018 and 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of patients without any digestive system symptoms decreased to 3% and severe clinical symptoms decreased by 20.9%. The proportion of right colon cancer decreased by 17.9%, while the proportion of rectal cancer increased by 52.2%, as compared with 2018 and 2019. The fraction of protective stoma was significantly higher than in 2018 (23.9% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.011). Compared with 2019, the average post-operative stay was significantly shorter than in 2018 (9.6 ± 3.7 vs. 12.1 ± 9.1, p = 0.015). Compared with 2019, the number of patients with perineural invasion (a feature of adverse prognosis) significantly increased (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer was reduced. However, the tumor stage of patients did not change substantially. We suggest that the clinical diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer should strictly comply with national and professional standards.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of surgery delays and survival in breast, lung and colon cancers: Implication for surgical triage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Thousands of cancer surgeries were delayed during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines if surgical delays impact survival for breast, lung and colon cancers. METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched. Articles evaluating the relationship between delays in surgery and overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) or cancer-specific survival (CSS) were included. RESULTS: Of the 14,422 articles screened, 25 were included in the review and 18 (totaling 2,533,355 patients) were pooled for meta-analyses. Delaying surgery for 12 weeks may decrease OS in breast (HR 1.46, 95%CI 1.28-1.65), lung (HR 1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06) and colon (HR 1.24, 95%CI 1.12-1.38) cancers. When breast cancers were analyzed by stage, OS was decreased in stages I (HR 1.27, 95%CI 1.16-1.40) and II (HR 1.13, 95%CI 1.02-1.24) but not in stage III (HR 1.20, 95%CI 0.94-1.53). CONCLUSION: Delaying breast, lung and colon cancer surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic may decrease survival.

[Management of a colon cancer patient complicated with COVID-19].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of radical resection for cancer patients complicated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The management and clinical outcome of a sigmoid cancer patient with COVID-19 were analyzed. RESULTS: The inflammation indicators and fever of this patient were effectively controlled and the lung lesions remained stable after active anti-viral treatment, then the radical colorectomy was performed after the viral negative conversion for twice. CONCLUSIONS: The case indicates that radical resection can be performed in SARS-CoV-2 patients with twice-negative SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing results.

The aggressive surgical treatment and outcome of a colon cancer patient with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients are at increased risk of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Currently, surgeries for cancer patients with COVID-19 are generally suggested to be properly delayed. CASE PRESENTATION: We presented a 69-year-old Chinese female colon cancer patient with COVID-19, the first case accepted the surgical treatment during the pandemic in China. The patient developed a fever on January 28, 2020. After treatments with Ceftriaxone and Abidol, her fever was not moderated yet. A repeat chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed significantly exacerbated infectious lesions with a positive result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid. An abdomen CT scan indicated the tumor of ascending colon with local wrapped changes. She was diagnosed with 'Severe novel coronavirus pneumonia' and 'Incomplete bowel obstruction: Colon cancer?'. After actively anti-inflammatory and anti-viral therapies, a right colectomy with lymph node dissection was performed on March 11, followed by a pathological examination. The patient successfully recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia and incomplete bowel obstruction after surgery without any postoperative related complications and was discharged on the 9th day after operation. Significant degeneration, necrosis and slough of focal intestinal and colonic mucosal epithelial cells were observed under microscope. No surgeons, nurses or anesthetists in our team were infected with SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS: It is meaningful and imperative to share our experience of protecting health care personnels from SARS-CoV-2 infection and providing references for optimizing treatment of cancer patients, at least for the operative intervention with absolute necessity or surgical emergency, during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Colon cancer during the coronavirus pandemic ­ recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia of an elderly woman with multiple co-morbidities / Vastagbéldaganat a koronavírusjárvány idején - idos, multimorbid nobeteg COVID-19-tüdogyulladásának gyógyulása: (A COVID­19-pandémia orvosszakmai kérdései)

COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, can lead to acute respiratory failure or even sepsis. Patients with multiple co-morbidities are more likely to develop these severe forms of the disease. The aim of this report is to highlight cases the analysis of which might help discover factors that influence the course and mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia. The past medical history of our elderly patient (75-year-old female) includes rectum resection with intraoperative cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation. In January 2020, the patient was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon and concomittant pulmonary embolism. Following 6 weeks of therapeutic dose low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) treatment, the cancerous colonic section was resected. The patient arrested intraoperatively but was successfully resuscitated. On post-operative day 15, the patient developed arterial anastomosis bleed, which necessitated acute right-sided hemicolectomy. Post-operatively she became pyrexial and COVID-19 was confirmed, but later became apyrexial with symptomatic treatment. Subsequently, the patient developed partial anastomosis insufficiency, which resolved with conservative management. Following three negative SARS-CoV-2 tests, she was successfully discharged from hospital. It is worthy of note that due to the active anastomosis bleed the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor treatment was stopped, and later the patient got infected with SARS-CoV-2. A long-lasting LMWH therapy was performed. The timely management of colorectal carcinoms remains important even during an epidemic. The appropriate treatment of these patients during the pandemic presents a great challenge for all doctors, but, as shown in our case report, surgical treatment of even those with multiple co-morbidities can be successful. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(25): 1059-1062.

Development and Validation of a Clinical Risk Score for Intensive Care Resource Utilization After Colon Cancer Surgery: a Practical Guide to the Selection of Patients During COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a prediction model and clinical risk score for Intensive Care Resource Utilization after colon cancer surgery. METHODS: Adult (≥ 18 years old) patients from the 2012 to 2018 ACS-NSQIP colectomy-targeted database who underwent elective colon cancer surgery were identified. A prediction model for 30-day postoperative Intensive Care Resource Utilization was developed and transformed into a clinical risk score based on the regression coefficients. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The model was validated in a separate test set of similar patients. RESULTS: In total, 54,893 patients underwent an elective colon cancer resection, of which 1224 (2.2%) required postoperative Intensive Care Resource Utilization. The final prediction model retained six variables: age (≥ 70; OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.68-2.14), sex (male; OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.54-1.95), American Society of Anesthesiologists score (III/IV; OR 2.52, 95% CI 2.15-2.95), cardiorespiratory disease (yes; OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.94-2.53), functional status (dependent; OR 2.81, 95% CI 2.22-3.56), and operative approach (open surgery; OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.51-1.93). The model demonstrated good discrimination (AUC = 0.73). A clinical risk score was developed, and the risk of requiring postoperative Intensive Care Resource Utilization ranged from 0.03 (0 points) to 19.0% (8 points). The model performed well on test set validation (AUC = 0.73). CONCLUSION: A prediction model and clinical risk score for postoperative Intensive Care Resource Utilization after colon cancer surgery was developed and validated.