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Sars-cov2 pandemia and delayed cancer treatment: A single centre experience
Tumori ; 106(2 SUPPL):90, 2020.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1109849
ABSTRACT

Background:

Pandemic SARS-CoV2 infection was characterized by a severe respiratory syndrome whit a worst course in elderly with comorbidity. Oncology patients (pts) may be at risk for an unfavorable course of infection (1). For this, oncologists had to choose how maintaining therapeutic benefit, minimizing risk of treatments (txs). Oncologist associations had recommended to reduce risk but encouraging continuation of txs. Indeed, one of the risks for oncological pts was inability to receive necessary medical service (2). In this study we reported our experience.

Methods:

We analyzed pts with solid tumors which received 1 cycle of therapy from 9 to 30 March 2020 at Medical Oncology Unit of Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi. We subsequently followed pts over time to evaluate delays in subsequent cycles, and its cause (COVID19 or not related).

Results:

We analyzed 118 pts (27% affected by lung cancer), divided in age groups (172 were over 50, 96 over 70 and 16 over 80), setting (86% metastatic disease, 8% adjuvant and 7% neoadjuvant/perioperative and type of txs (32% immunotherapy). There were 26 delay in second cycles, 24 in third and only 2 in fourth. In 18 cases delay was scheduled to minimize risk of COVID19 contagion. Expected neutropenia risk did not significantly influenced delay, while age influenced in pts over 60 (13,3% of delay in 80-90 group, 13,3% in 70-79, 17,3% 60-69 and 5,3% in 50-59). Adjuvant txs showed greater delays than metastatic and neoadjuvant /perioperative. 14% of immunotherapies (no difference in lung cancer vs others) was delayed vs 16% of other txs.

Conclusions:

The SAR-CoV2 pandemic infection obligated oncologists to establish the risk/benefit ratio of a delay in txs, in absence of data. In our experience, the age> 60 and adjuvant setting have more often delayed txs, while type of therapy and the risk of neutropenia have had less impact. In contrast to cancer society's recommendations, there have been no greater delays in immunotherapy in lung cancer than in other diseases. The delay was more frequent in the first phase of the pandemic, probably due to the progressive reorganization of the cancer department.

Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Tumori Year: 2020 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Tumori Year: 2020 Document Type: Article