Ye PJ, Xi Y, Sun CZ, Lei Q, Li L. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on elderly patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Front Oncol 2022;
12:966011. [PMID:
36212498 PMCID:
PMC9539855 DOI:
10.3389/fonc.2022.966011]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) strongly affects health care activities in countries around the world. The diagnosis and treatment of cancer have also been involved, and elderly head and neck squamous carcinoma is one of them. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on elderly patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in our center.
Methods
This retrospective study analyzed the clinical characteristics of 400 HNSCC patients over 65 years of age, calculated their treatment interruption rates, and compared the time of delayed diagnosis.
Results
The rate of elderly patients with HNSCC with a delayed diagnosis was higher in the “during COVID-19 pandemic” group (DCOV19 group) than in the “during COVID-19 pandemic” group (BCOV19 group), and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.0017). There was a substantial difference in the rate of treatment interruption between the two groups (p=0.002).
Conclusions
This is the first study to explore the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on visits and treatment interruptions in elderly patients with HNSCC. The current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HNSCC treatment has resulted in reductions and delays in diagnosing cancer and providing treatment.
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