Gynecological cancer patients and their health care infrastructure during the corona pandemia in Berlin in 2020/21

ABSTRACT

Background: Severe unstableness has occurred during the Covid pandemic in 2020/21 regarding the accessibility of health care structures. Patients with symptoms did either not consult their gynecologists, or were not able to get access to their gynecologists, due to canceled outpatient consultation hours. Method(s) The first lockdown due to Covid-19 in Berlin occured in March 2020. We compared the cancer data and cancer patients consultation to three gynecological centers in three academic hospitals in Berlin in the years 2018/2019 to 2020/2021. Consultations and stages of tumors in 840 patients were compared and matched monthly between the years. Result(s) In the first lockdown March 2020- June 2020 20% less cancer patients consultated our clinics. The results were found to be significant. Elder patients did tend to consult the health care system less during the lockdown as compared to before the lockdown. In the first lockdown March 2020- June 2020 20% less cancer patients consultated our clinics. The results were found to be significant. Elder patients did tend to consult the health care system less during the lockdown as compared to before the lockdown. After the first lockdown a tendency to more advanced cancer stages were observed in the cancer patients. Discussion(s) During the Covid-19 pandemic medical care for cancer patients was impaired, as compared to the time before the pandemic. Significantly less patients consulted the health care system and found support for their symptoms. Conclusion(s) The alterations due to the pandemic will, most probably, affect the long term survival of these cancer patients.