Gastric cancer during COVID-19 pandemic: What changed?

Yılmaz Özdemir; Ahmed Ramiz Baykan

doi:10.28982/josam.1072900

Authors

Yılmaz Özdemir https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5480-1140
Ahmed Ramiz Baykan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6798-0240

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28982/josam.1072900

Keywords:

Gastric cancer, COVID-19, Pandemic

Abstract

Background/Aim: There is no doubt that oncology patients are among the most affected groups by the pandemic. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with gastric cancer. Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study in a non-clean hospital from March 1, 2020, when the pandemic became widespread in Turkey, to August 1, 2021. Patients diagnosed with gastric cancer were compared with patients in the pre-pandemic period. The cancer stages, operation types and results of the patients were compared between the groups. Results: A total of 181 patients were included in the study. While a decrease was observed in stage 1 (P=0.01) and stage 2 (P=0.09) tumors during the pandemic period, an increase was observed in the number of stage 4A (P=0.002) and stage 4B (P=0.001) tumors on admission. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the pandemic were significantly less when compared with the pre-pandemic group (P=0.04). Conclusions: When the necessary precautions are taken, surgical oncology can be safely performed even in a non-clean hospital. With the spread of similar study results, patients' anxiety-based COVID-19 fear will be overcome.

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