Survival of patients with malignant head and neck tumors diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected healthcare access worldwide. Few studies have analysed whether the pandemic negatively impacted patients with head and neck malignant tumours diagnosed during this period. This study aims to determine if there were differences in oncological outcomes between patients diagnosed during the pandemic and those diagnosed previously.

Material and methods

A retrospective study was conducted on patients with malignant head and neck tumours diagnosed during the pandemic and the previous five years at a tertiary center.

Results

The study cohort included 872 patients diagnosed between March 2018 and February 2022. The quarter with the fewest diagnoses was the COVID-4 period (March-2020 to June-2020), coinciding with the strictest lockdown phases. There were no significant changes in patient characteristics or treatment types due to the pandemic. No significant differences in 3-year disease-specific survival were observed between patients diagnosed and treated during the COVID period (March-2020 to February-2021, disease-specific survival 73.0%) and those treated during the previous five years (March-2015 to February-2020, disease-specific survival 70.6%, P = 0.377).

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the number of diagnoses of malignant head and neck tumours during the strictest lockdown phases in our country. However, no statistically significant differences in oncological outcomes were observed as a consequence of the pandemic.

Resumen

Objetivo

La pandemia de COVID-19 alteró significativamente el acceso a la atención sanitaria a nivel mundial. Pocos estudios han evaluado si la pandemia afectó negativamente a los pacientes con tumores malignos de cabeza y cuello diagnosticados durante este periodo. Este estudio se propone determinar si existieron diferencias en los resultados oncológicos entre los pacientes diagnosticados durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y aquellos diagnosticados previamente.

Material y métodos

Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo en pacientes con tumores malignos de cabeza y cuello diagnosticados durante la pandemia y en los cinco años anteriores en un centro terciario.

Resultados

La cohorte analizada incluyó 872 pacientes diagnosticados entre marzo de 2015 y febrero de 2022. El menor número de diagnósticos ocurrió durante el trimestre que denominamos COVID-4 (marzo-2020 a junio-2020), coincidiendo con la fase más estricta del confinamiento. No hubo cambios significativos en las características de los pacientes ni en el tipo de tratamiento recibido debido a la pandemia. No se observaron diferencias significativas en la supervivencia específica a los 3 años entre los pacientes diagnosticados y tratados durante el periodo COVID-12 (marzo-2020 a febrero-2021, 73.0% de supervivencia) y los tratados durante los cinco años anteriores (marzo-2015 a febrero-2020, 70.6% de supervivencia, P = 0.377).

Conclusiones

La pandemia de COVID-19 condujo a una disminución en el número de diagnósticos de tumores malignos de cabeza y cuello durante la fase de confinamiento más estricto. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias significativas en los resultados oncológicos como consecuencia de la pandemia.