1
|
Carrillo-García J, Lacerenza S, Hindi N, García IC, Marquina G, Cano Cano JM, Trufero JM, Sevillano Tripero AR, Luis García T, Cuesta Rioboo MJ, Moura DS, Renshaw M, Mondaza-Hernández JL, Di Lernia D, Gutierrez A, Martin-Broto J. Delays in diagnosis and surgery of sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2024; 16:17588359231220611. [PMID: 38205079 PMCID: PMC10777772 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231220611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Social distancing and quarantine implanted during the COVID-19 outbreak could have delayed the accession of oncologic patients to hospitals and treatments. This study analysed the management of sarcoma patients during this period in five Spanish hospitals. Design and methods Clinical data from adult sarcoma patients, soft tissue and bone sarcomas, managed during the COVID-19 outbreak, from 15 March to 14 September 2020 (Covid cohort), were retrospectively collected and time for diagnosis, surgery and active treatments were compared with sarcoma patients managed during the same pre-pandemic period in 2018 (Control cohort). Results A total of 126 and 182 new sarcoma patients were enrolled in the Covid and Control cohorts, respectively, who were mainly diagnosed as soft tissue sarcomas (81.0% and 80.8%) and at localized stage (80.2% and 79.1%). A diagnostic delay was observed in the Covid cohort with a median time for the diagnosis of 102.5 days (range 6-355) versus 83 days (range 5-328) in the Control cohort (p = 0.034). Moreover, a delay in surgery was observed in cases with localized disease from the Covid cohort with a median time of 96.0 days (range 11-265) versus 54.5 days (range 2-331) in the Control cohort (p = 0.034). However, a lower delay for neoadjuvant radiotherapy was observed in the Covid cohort with a median time from the diagnosis to the neoadjuvant radiotherapy of 47 days (range 27-105) versus 91 days (range 27-294) in the Control cohort (p = 0.039). No significant differences for adjuvant radiotherapy, neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant/adjuvant palliative chemotherapy were observed between both cohorts. Neither progression-free survival (PFS) nor overall survival (OS) was significantly different. Conclusion Delays in diagnosis and surgery were retrospectively observed in sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, while the time for neoadjuvant radiotherapy was reduced. However, no impact on the PFS and OS was observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Carrillo-García
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
| | - Serena Lacerenza
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), HUVR-CSIC-University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Nadia Hindi
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gloria Marquina
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, School of Medicine, Complutense University (UCM), IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juana María Cano Cano
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Rafael Sevillano Tripero
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tania Luis García
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - David S. Moura
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Renshaw
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L. Mondaza-Hernández
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
| | - Davide Di Lernia
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Gutierrez
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
| | - Javier Martin-Broto
- Health Research Institute Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Reyes Católicos 2, Madrid 28040, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital General de Villalba, Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Penel N, Cantarel C, Chemin-Airiau C, Ducimetiere F, Gouin F, Le Loarer F, Toulmonde M, Piperno-Neumann S, Bellera C, Honore C, Blay JY, Mathoulin-Pelissier S. Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on sarcoma management in France: a 2019 and 2020 comparison. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231192400. [PMID: 37661954 PMCID: PMC10472827 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231192400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was an unprecedented shock to the healthcare systems, and its consequences on managing rare cancers are unknown. We investigated COVID-19's impact on the activity of sarcoma-labeled networks by comparing key indicators in 2019-2020 (before and during the pandemic, respectively). Methods We compared the incidence of limb and trunk soft tissue sarcomas, surgery rate, surgery center, surgery quality, and surgery delays nationally and in various regions, focusing on the three most severely affected regions. Findings In this study, sarcoma incidence did not decrease, and the tumor and patient characteristics were similar in both years. The number of patients who underwent surgery in the labeled centers increased significantly (63% versus 57%, p = 0.015), the rate of R0 resection increased (55% versus 47%, p = 0.004), and the rate of re-excision decreased (12% versus 21%, p < 0.0001). In the univariate analysis, the time to surgery was similar in both years. Cox regression analysis revealed that the factors associated with a longer time to surgery were age > 70 years (p = 0.003), retroperitoneal location (p > 0.001), tumor size (p < 0.001), deep tumors (p < 0.001), and regions (p < 0.001). However, we have observed an increase in the time before surgery in the regions most stroked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretation The model of the labeled center network for managing rare tumors was resilient. Paradoxically, the quality indicators improved during the pandemic due to the direct referral of patients with sarcomas to the labeled centers. Summary This study shows that a nationwide network organization has made it possible to maintain care for these rare tumors during the pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Penel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Oscar Lambret, 3 rue Combemale, Lille 59020, France
- University of Lille, CHU Lille, ULR 2694 – Metrics: Evaluation des technologies de santé et des pratiques médicales, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Coralie Cantarel
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Epicene Team, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
- Inserm CIC1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | - François Le Loarer
- University of Bordeaux and Department of Pathology, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maud Toulmonde
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Carine Bellera
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Epicene Team, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
- Inserm CIC1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Charles Honore
- Department of Surgery, Gustave Roussy Cancer campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Jean-Yves Blay
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon University, Lyon, France
| | - Simone Mathoulin-Pelissier
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Epicene Team, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
- Inserm CIC1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tsagkaris C, Trygonis N, Spyrou V, Koulouris A. Telemedicine in Care of Sarcoma Patients beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3700. [PMID: 37509361 PMCID: PMC10378403 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenging environment for sarcoma patients. Most oncology societies published guidelines or recommendations prioritizing sarcoma patients and established telehealth as an efficient method of approaching them. The aim of this review is the assessment of current evidence regarding the utilization of telemedicine in diagnosis, treatment modalities, telerehabilitation and satisfaction among sarcoma patients and healthcare providers (HP). METHODS This systematic review was carried out using the databases PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS The application of telemedicine to the management of sarcoma has yielded improved clinical and psychological outcomes. Specifically, significant progress has been demonstrated in the areas of tele-oncology and telerehabilitation during the last decade, and the COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated this transition toward them. Telehealth has been proven efficient in a wide spectrum of applications from consultations on physical therapy and psychological support to virtual care symptom management. Both HP and patients reported satisfaction with telehealth services at levels comparable to in-person visits. CONCLUSIONS Telehealth has already unveiled many opportunities in tailoring individualized care, and its role in the management of sarcoma patients has been established in the post-COVID-19 era, as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christos Tsagkaris
- European Student Think Tank, Public Health and Policy Working Group, 1058 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nikolaos Trygonis
- Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of Heraklion, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Spyrou
- Post Covid Department, Theme Female Health, Karolinska University Hospital, 14157 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Koulouris
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
- Thoracic Oncology Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Onesti CE, Vari S, Minghelli D, Nardozza F, Rossi B, Sperati F, Checcucci E, Faltyn W, Cercato MC, Cosimati A, Salvatori F, Biagini R, Ciliberto G, Ferraresi V, Maggi G. Quality of life and emotional distress in sarcoma patients diagnosed during COVID-19 pandemic: a supplementary analysis from the SarCorD study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1078992. [PMID: 37333608 PMCID: PMC10273400 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1078992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 outbreak had a negative psychological impact on cancer patients. In this study, we analyzed emotional distress and quality of life in patients diagnosed with sarcoma during the first year of the pandemic compared to the previous year. Methods We retrospectively enrolled patients with soft tissue, bone sarcoma, and aggressive benign musculoskeletal diseases diagnosed during the pandemic (COVID group) or the year before (control group) at the IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome. Patients who had undergone a psychological assessment with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the Distress Thermometer at diagnosis were included in the final analysis. We analyzed whether there is a difference in the various domains of quality of life between the two groups and whether there are changes over time in each group. Results We enrolled 114 patients (72 control group; 42 COVID group), affected by soft tissue (64%), bone sarcoma (29%), and aggressive benign musculoskeletal diseases (7%). We did not observe significant differences in the health-related quality of life domains in the control and COVID groups, except for the financial domain (p = 0.039), with 9.7% vs. 23.8% of patients with a score > 0 in the control and COVID groups, respectively. We observed emotional distress at diagnosis in 48.6% of patients in the control group vs. 69.0% in the COVID group (p = 0.034). In the control group, we observed an improvement in physical function (p = 0.043) and in QoL (p = 0.022), while in the COVID group, we observed a deterioration in role function (p = 0.044) during follow-up. In the COVID group, 22.2% of patients were concerned about COVID-19, 61.1% by tumor, 91.1% stated that the pandemic worsened their subjective perception of cancer, and 19.4% perceived that their quality of care had worsened. Conclusion We observed a higher level of distress among patients diagnosed during the pandemic compared to the year before, probably due to the increased concern for both infection and cancer, the worsened perception of health status, and the perception of a poorer quality of health care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Elisa Onesti
- Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Vari
- Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Denise Minghelli
- Psychology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Nardozza
- UOSD Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Rossi
- Oncological Orthopaedics Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Sperati
- UOSD Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Checcucci
- Epidemiology and Tumor Registry Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Wioletta Faltyn
- Oncological Orthopaedics Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cecilia Cercato
- Digital Library “R. Maceratini”, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Cosimati
- Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Salvatori
- Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Biagini
- Oncological Orthopaedics Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Direction, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Virginia Ferraresi
- Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Maggi
- Psychology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|