Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on follow up of lung cancer patients

ABSTRACT

Background: Defaults in serious diseases like lung cancer cause significant morbidity and mortality. Thus an effort was made to know the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the follow up of lung cancer patients. Reasons once identified may help in reducing the default rate in future during similar conditions. Methods: 115 patients of carcinoma lung on chemotherapy were enrolled and followed up till the end of the study during COVID-19 pandemic. Defaults if any was studied and analysed by questionnaire method. Results: Mean age was 54.63 (SD-12.11) majority of the patients were males 91 (79.1%), mainly from rural background (75.7%). The major histological type was adenocarcinoma 65 (56.5%). 70 (60.9%) patients were exsmokers and 45 (39.1%) were non smokers. Mean distance from home to hospital was 156.42 (SD-147.56). All the patients were of advanced cancer;i.e. stage III or IV. 68 (59.13%) patients defaulted during the study period. 77 defaults were documented, 60 patients (88.24%) defaulted once, 7 patients (10.29 %) were defaulted twice and 1 defaulted (1.47 %) thrice. Lock down in 22 (32.35%), poor health in 13 (16.88%) and fear of covid in 12 (15.58%) were the most frequent reasons. No correlation was found between ages, gender, residence, distance from home to hospital, patient education, care taker education, socio economic status, ECOG status, stage of the disease, type of chemotherapy (conventional or oral TKI) with the default rate. Conclusion: Even though the OPD and indoor services never stopped for cancer patients, still major cause of default in were covid related problems, like lock down, fear of covid, transport related problems during COVID-19 pandemic.