ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Patients with cancer need to receive their proper treatment and often cannot wait for their treatment, despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many cancer centers have had challenges maintaining their oncological activities. OBJECTIVES: To compare the average hospital management data and indicators in two different periods, with and without the peak of COVID-19 cases, from an important tertiary cancer center in the northeast region of Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective and observational study was performed comparing average hospital administrative data and indicators, between January to March v April to June, 2020 exclusively at the Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco, Brazil. RESULTS: There were on average a 13% reduction in the chemotherapy administered (Pâ¯=â¯.131), 17% fewer radiotherapy treatments carried out (Pâ¯=â¯.043) and 41% as many oncologic surgeries undertaken (Pâ¯=â¯.002). There was a reduction in the number of sessions of out-patient chemotherapy of 8â¢6% (Pâ¯=â¯.271) and chemotherapy inpatients of 33% (Pâ¯=â¯.038). Admission of new cases of patients with cancer was reduced by 44% (Pâ¯=â¯.007) during the period analyzed. Ambulatory appointments also decreased by 55% (Pâ¯=â¯.004) and emergency room appointments fell by 7â¢9% (Pâ¯=â¯.495). The number of hospitalizations was reduced by 36% (Pâ¯=â¯.005) and the occupancy rate decreased by 23â¢6% (Pâ¯=â¯.003), while the length of individual hospital stays (in days) increased 10â¢5% (Pâ¯=â¯.116). CONCLUSION: We report a reduction in the number of radiotherapy treatments and surgeries performed cancer carried out, ambulatory and emergency appointments, hospitalization and admission of new cases of cancer during peak of COVID-19 in an important public tertiary cancer center in the northeast region of Brazil.