Advanced Stages and Increased Need for Adjuvant Treatments in Breast Cancer Patients: The Effect of the One-year COVID-19 Pandemic.
Anticancer Res
; 41(5): 2689-2696, 2021 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1218756
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIM:
The COVID-19 lockdown includes restrictive measures and temporary health system reorganization. Resources were shifted to COVID-19 patients, screening programs were temporary suspended, and oncological care suffered slow-down. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of these measures on breast cancer patients. PATIENTS ANDMETHODS:
All breast cancer patients referred to our unit from February 21, 2019 to February 21, 2021 were enrolled. Type of treatments and surgery, TNM, tumor diameter, and predictive and prognostic factors were analyzed.RESULTS:
Out of 445 patients with a breast cancer diagnosis, 182 (40.9%) were enrolled in the COVID-19 group (from February 21, 2010 to February 21, 2021). These patients were compared with 263 (59.1%) patients pre-COVID-19. Tumor diameters were bigger in the COVID-19 group. Type of surgery and N staging were statistically significantly different. Extreme advanced disease incidence was significantly different between the groups (2.7% COVID-19 group vs. 0 pre-COVID-19 group, p=0.011). Incidence of post-surgical radiation-therapy was higher in the COVID-19 group. Other variables analyzed were comparable without a statistically significant difference.CONCLUSION:
COVID-19 led to increased tumor dimensions, advanced N-staging, and increased need for adjuvant treatments in breast cancer.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Breast Neoplasms
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Journal:
Anticancer Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Anticanres.15050
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