Breast Cancer and COVID-19: Challenges in Surgical Management

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Is Effective in Those Infected With SARS-CoV-2: The Real-World Experience of a Large Chinese Breast Cancer Center

PURPOSE

During the major shift in China's policies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many residents will be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over a short period, including a few patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Moreover, it is unknown whether this comorbidity affects the efficacy of NAC for breast cancer and the patient's psychological state and quality of life (QOL). This study aims to answer these questions.

METHODS

The clinical data of 2,793 patients with breast cancer who received NAC at The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were retrospectively collected. The infected and non-infected groups were divided according to whether they were infected with COVID-19 during NAC. Propensity score matching was used to reduce patient selection bias. The effectiveness, psychological well-being, and QOL of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

No discernible differences were observed in the pathological complete response rates (p = 0.307) and major histological responses rate (p = 0.398) between the infected and non-infected groups. Following the full course of NAC, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment General (p < 0.001) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Breast Cancer (p < 0.001) were lower in the infected group than the non-infected group, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety scale (p < 0.001) and HADS depression scale (p < 0.001) were considerably higher in the infected group than the non-infected group.

CONCLUSION

With timely treatment and effective medical management, SARS-CoV-2 does not appear to affect the efficacy of NAC; however, it can significantly affect the QOL of patients and increase their psychological distress. Therefore, in addition to a timely assessment of the efficacy of NAC, it is necessary to dynamically understand the patient's psychological state and QOL.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer patient pathways and outcomes in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland - a scoping review

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unplanned service disruption for breast cancer diagnostic, treatment and support services. This scoping review describes these changes and their impact in the UK and the Republic of Ireland based on studies published between January 2020 and August 2023. Thirty-four of 569 papers were included. Data were extracted and results thematically organized. Findings include fewer new cases; stage shift (fewer early- and more late-stage disease); and changes to healthcare organization, breast screening and treatment. Examples are accepting fewer referrals, applying stricter referral criteria and relying more on virtual consultations and multi-disciplinary meetings. Screening service programs paused during the pandemic before enacting risk-based phased restarts with longer appointment times to accommodate reduced staffing numbers and enhanced infection-control regimes. Treatments shifted from predominantly conventional to hypofractionated radiotherapy, fewer surgical procedures and increased use of bridging endocrine therapy. The long-term impact of such changes are unknown so definitive guidelines for future emergencies are not yet available. Cancer registries, with their large sample sizes and population coverage, are well placed to monitor changes to stage and survival despite difficulties obtaining definitive staging during diagnosis because surgery and pathological assessments are delayed. Multisite longitudinal studies can also provide guidance for future disaster preparedness.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment at a Japanese Hospital

Background/Aim

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced medical institutions to scale back their practice. Changes in patient behavior seemed to be having an impact. We conducted a survey with the aim of reviewing lung cancer treatment during the pandemic period and identifying problems.

Patients and Methods

We examined the medical records of all patients pathologically diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in our hospital from 2017 to 2022. NSCLC patients were divided into two groups: those diagnosed between 2017 and 2019 (first period) and those diagnosed between 2020 and 2022 (second period).

Results

Within the study period, 267 NSCLC patients (first period: 147 patients, second period: 121 patients) were diagnosed in our hospital. The patients in the two study periods did not differ significantly in age (p=0.613), ECOG performance status (p=0.125), and clinical stage (p=0.354). Tumor size was significantly larger in the second period with a mean of 5.88 cm ± 3.02, compared to 4.24 cm ± 1.76 in the first period (p<0.001). In the standard treatment group, the median survival time was 457 days in the first period and 313 days in the second period (p=0.063). In the best supportive care group, median survival time was 122 days in the first period and 57 days in the second period (p=0.004).

Conclusion

Patients themselves refrained from seeking consultation for lung cancer treatment during the pandemic period. It is inconclusive how to reduce the delay due to the suppression of consultations, but this is an important issue for the future.

Lasting Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented time that placed unique challenges on the screening and treatment of breast cancer in the United States. Collaboration among medical disciplines and societies provided guidelines and strategies to mitigate the exposure of patients and medical providers to the virus and provide optimal care. We discuss the changes that the pandemic had on the multidisciplinary management of breast cancer.

Perspectives and Challenges of COVID-19 with Obesity-Related Cancers

The emergence of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented threat worldwide, involving overwhelmed health-care systems in the majority of countries [...]