ABSTRACT
Cancer patients are at higher risk to be infected with COVID-19 and to develop a more severe form. Breast cancer (BC) treatments, including chemotherapy (CT), targeted therapy and immunotherapy can weaken the immune system and possibly cause lung problems. For all these reasons Salah Azaiez Institute's department of Medical Oncology took drastic actions to protect patients. In this article we will discuss protocol adjustments taken during the COVID-19 pandemic for breast cancer patients.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Protocols , Breast Neoplasms , Communicable Disease Control , Coronavirus Infections , Medical Oncology/trends , Pandemics , Patient Care Management , Pneumonia, Viral , Betacoronavirus , Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Breast Neoplasms/therapy , COVID-19 , Communicable Disease Control/methods , Communicable Disease Control/organization & administration , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Female , Humans , Neoplasm Staging , Organizational Innovation , Pandemics/prevention & control , Patient Care Management/methods , Patient Care Management/organization & administration , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Risk Adjustment/methods , SARS-CoV-2 , Telemedicine/methods , Tunisia/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Desmoid tumor also called aggressive fibromatosis is a rare type of benign tumor. It is a mesenchymal malignancy without metastatic potential. The standard management is resection, but other options including observation may be discussed. Desmoid-type fibromatosis may occur throughout the body, but the abdominal wall is the most common site. The aim of our study was to assess the clinicoepidemiological profile, prognostic factors, and treatment outcome of desmoid tumors. METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study was conducted over a period of 19 years between February 2000 and November 2019 at the oncology department of Salah Azaïz Institute. Our study concerns 30 patients with desmoid tumor. All data regarding patients were obtained from the medical record. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included. The median age was 35 years with a female predominance (sex ratio = 0.07). A palpable mass was the most common complaint (n = 27). Median tumor size was 5 cm. The principal site of involvement was the abdominal wall (n = 14). Surgery was performed in 27 patients. The histopathology reports listed 14 (52%) cases with negative margins and 13 (48%) cases with positive margins. Radiation therapy was performed in 2 patients. One patient received tamoxifen. Local recurrence occurred in 11 patients. Two patients died of their desmoid tumor. Abdominal wall tumors have less risk of recurrence compared with other sites (p=0.047). Macroscopic margin involvement (R2) was the only prognostic factor influencing disease-free-survival (p=0.034). CONCLUSION: Desmoid tumors are aggressive tumors with a tendency for local recurrence. Abdominal wall tumors have less risk of recurrence. Macroscopic margin involvement was the only prognostic factor that affects disease-free-survival.
