RESUMO
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of measures designed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on worldwide cancer screening. We systematically searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, and EMBASE without language restrictions for studies published between January 1, 2021, and February 10, 2021. Studies selected for full-text review contained data on patients screened for any type of cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparison data from a time interval just prior to the pandemic. Data were obtained through dual extraction. All the included studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias. A meta-analysis was performed on 13 studies: 7 on screening mammography, 5 on colon cancer screening, and 3 on cervical cancer screening. Two of our studies reported on more than one type of cancer screening. The screening outcomes were reported as pooled incidence rate ratios using the inverse variance method and random effects models. All studies included in our meta-analysis reported the number of patients screened for cancer in defined time intervals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that the pooled incidence rate ratios were significantly lower for screening during the COVID-19 pandemic for breast cancer (0.63; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.77; P<.001), colon cancer (0.11; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.24; P<.001), and cervical cancer (0.10; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.24; P<.001). These findings may add further morbidity and mortality to this public health crisis.
RESUMO
Background. Gallbladder small cell carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy with no established standard of care treatment. We described here a case report of small cell gallbladder cancer and we then performed a comprehensive review of 72 case reports of this disease. Methods. Published case reports of small cell carcinoma of the gallbladder between 1983 and 2014 were reviewed. Treatment modalities and survival were analyzed for metastatic and localized disease. Results. Median overall survival for all patients was 13 months. Metastatic disease was identified in 72% of cases. Treatment of metastatic disease with chemotherapy showed a significant survival benefit (p < 0.001) compared to no chemotherapy, and the use of platinum doublet with etoposide showed a nonsignificant 4-month improvement in survival compared to other chemotherapy regimens (p = 0.13). Adjuvant therapy did not demonstrate an improvement of median overall survival in local disease (p = 0.78). Conclusion. Given the limited available data, systemic therapy with platinum and etoposide should be considered for patients with metastatic small cell carcinoma of the gallbladder. Adjuvant chemoradiation or chemotherapy for treatment of local disease warrants further investigation.
