Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of head and neck cancer in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Introduction: To restrict the spread of COVID-19 infection, billions of people around the world have been quarantined or in social isolation. As a result of these health public measures, only essential services were maintained. Outpatient consultations and non-urgent surgeries were suspended to reduce hospitalizations and the risk of contagion. This context resulted in a delay in the diagnosis of several diseases, including head and neck cancer (HNC). Objective(s) To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of HNC, comparing the number of surgery and radiotherapy, and chemotherapy procedures carried out during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods in Brazil. Material(s) and Method(s) We compared the mean number of HNC surgeries and the number of radiotherapy and chemotherapy procedures carried out during the pre-pandemic (from March to July 2015-2019) and pandemic period (from March to July 2020) in the five geographic regions of Brazil. Result(s) Between 2015 and 2019, the mean number of surgeries for HNC was 5410. In 2020, during the same period, there were 3522 surgeries, representing a 35% decrease during the pandemic period. The greatest decrease was observed in the Northern region (60.7%). The number of radiotherapy and chemotherapy procedures increased by 50,8% in the pandemic period, with a higher prevalence in the Northeast (75.1%). Conclusion(s) During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data demonstrate a likely change in the HNC treatment protocol in Brazil.