Assessing the Immediate Impact of COVID-19 on Surgical Oncology Practice: Experience from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Northeastern United States

Overview

Journal J Surg Oncol

Specialties General Surgery
Oncology

Date 2021 Mar 25

PMID 33765341

Citations 5

Authors

Victor Gazivoda

Alissa Greenbaum

Joshua Roshal

Jenna Lee

Lekha Reddy

Shahyan Rehman

Aaron Kangas-Dick

Stephanie Gregory

Maria Kowzun

Ruth Stephenson

Amanda Laird

H R Alexander

Adam C Berger

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on surgical oncology practice are not yet quantified. The aim of this study was to measure the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice volume.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients treated at an NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center was performed. "Pre-COVID" era was defined as January-February 2020 and "COVID" as March-April 2020. Primary outcomes were clinic visits and operative volume by surgical oncology subspecialty.

Results: Abouyt 907 new patient visits, 3897 follow-up visits, and 644 operations occurred during the study period. All subspecialties experienced significant decreases in new patient visits during COVID, though soft tissue oncology (Mel/Sarc), gynecologic oncology (Gyn/Onc), and endocrine were disproportionately affected. Telehealth visits increased to 11.4% of all visits by April. Mel/Sarc, Gyn/Onc, and Breast experienced significant operative volume decreases during COVID (25.8%, p = 0.012, 43.6% p < 0.001, and 41.9%, p < 0.001, respectively), while endocrine had no change and gastrointestinal oncology had a slight increase (p = 0.823) in the number of cases performed.

Conclusions: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are wide-ranging within surgical oncology subspecialties. The addition of telehealth is a viable avenue for cancer patient care and should be considered in surgical oncology practice.

Citing Articles

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Assessing the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice: Experience from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Northeastern United States.

Gazivoda V, Greenbaum A, Roshal J, Lee J, Reddy L, Rehman S J Surg Oncol. 2021; 124(1):7-15.

PMID: 33765341 PMC: 8250700. DOI: 10.1002/jso.26475.

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