Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on first-visit patients with oesophageal cancer in the first infection wave in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo: a single-centre retrospective study

Abstract Background Although the novel coronavirus disease 2019 did not lead to a serious medical collapse in Japan, its impact on treatment of oesophageal cancer has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the pandemic on consultation status and initial treatment...

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Published in:Japanese journal of clinical oncology 2022-05, Vol.52 (5), p.456-465
Main Authors: Miyawaki, Yutaka, Sato, Hiroshi, Lee, Seigi, Fujita, Shohei, Oya, Shuichiro, Sugita, Hirofumi, Hirano, Yasumitsu, Okamoto, Kojun, Koyama, Isamu, Sakuramoto, Shinichi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19 - epidemiology
Esophageal Neoplasms - epidemiology
Esophageal Neoplasms - therapy
Humans
Original
Pandemics
Rare Diseases
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Tokyo - epidemiology
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Summary:Abstract Background Although the novel coronavirus disease 2019 did not lead to a serious medical collapse in Japan, its impact on treatment of oesophageal cancer has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the pandemic on consultation status and initial treatment in patients with primary oesophageal cancer. Methods A retrospective study was conducted among 546 patients with oesophageal cancer who visited our hospital from April 2018 to March 2021. Pre-pandemic and pandemic data were compared with the clinical features, oncological factors and initial treatment as outcome measures. Results Diagnoses of oesophageal cancer decreased during the early phase of the pandemic from April to June (P = 0.048); however, there was no significant difference between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods throughout the year. The proportion of patients diagnosed with distant metastases significantly increased during the pandemic (P = 0.026), while the proportion of those who underwent initial radical treatment decreased (P = 0.044). The rate of definitive chemoradiotherapy decreased by 58.6% relative to pre-pandemic levels (P = 0.001). Conclusions Patients may have refrained from consultation during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The resultant delay in diagnosis may have led to an increase in the number of patients who were not indicated for radical treatment, as well as a decrease in the number of those who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy. Our findings highlight the need to maintain the health care system and raise awareness on the importance of consultation. The delay in diagnosis due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was associated with an increase in the number of patients with primary oesophageal cancer in the non-adapted stage of radical treatment.
ISSN:1465-3621
0368-2811
1465-3621
DOI:10.1093/jjco/hyac002