Your browser doesn't support javascript.
IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON FECAL IMMUNOCHEMICAL TESTING, COLONOSCOPY SERVICES, AND COLORECTAL NEOPLASIA DETECTION IN A LARGE UNITED STATES COMMUNITY-BASED POPULATION
Gastroenterology ; 162(7):S-200, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1967256
ABSTRACT
Background and

Aims:

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted clinical services globally, including colorectal cancer (CRC) testing such as fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening and colonoscopy. We investigated the impact of the pandemic on FIT and colonoscopy utilization, and colorectal neoplasia detection in a large community-based population in the United States.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients ages 18-89 years undergoing FIT screening or colonoscopy in 2019 and 2020 within Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), a large integrated healthcare organization. We calculated percentage changes in FIT kits mailed, FITs completed, positive FITs, colonoscopies performed overall and by indication, and colorectal neoplasia detection (advanced adenoma and CRC) in 2020 compared to 2019.

Results:

FIT kit mailings ceased in mid- March through April 2020 but rebounded thereafter leading to an 8.7% increase in total FIT kits mailed in 2020 compared to 2019. However, with the later mailing of FIT kits, there were 9.0% fewer FITs completed and 10.1% fewer positive tests in 2020 compared to 2019. Colonoscopy volumes nadired in April 2020, with a 79.4% reduction compared with April 2019, but recovered to near pre-pandemic monthly volumes in September through December 2020. However, overall, there was a 26.9% decline in colonoscopies performed in 2020 compared to 2019. Declines of 41.5%, 38,3%, 19.9%, and 20.0% were seen for screening, surveillance, diagnostic, and FIT positive colonoscopies, respectively, in 2020 compared to 2019. With the gradual recovery of colonoscopy volumes after the initial pandemic lockdown, by November and December 2020 the numbers of patients with advanced adenomas or CRC detected by colonoscopy were comparable to those same months in 2019. However, the total number of patients with advanced adenomas or CRC detected by colonoscopy declined by 26.9% and 8.7%, respectively, in 2020 compared to 2019.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to fewer FIT screenings and colonoscopies performed in 2020 compared with 2019. However, after the lifting of regional lockdowns, FIT screenings exceeded, and colonoscopy volumes nearly reached numbers from those same months in 2019. Overall, the pandemic led to 27% and 9% reductions in advanced adenoma and CRC detection, respectively, in 2020 compared to 2019, validating concerns about the potential for stage progression for cancers that went undetected due to the pandemic. Strategies to identify high-risk patients for expedited colonoscopy procedure scheduling and resolve remaining colonoscopy procedure backlogs are needed to mitigate this risk.(Figure Presented)Figure 1. Number of FIT kits mailed, completed, and positive in 2019 and 2020(Figure Presented)Figure 2. Number of colonoscopies and advanced adenomas and colorectal cancers detected by colonoscopy in 2019 and 2020
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Gastroenterology Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Gastroenterology Year: 2022 Document Type: Article