Clinical Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexican Patients with Thoracic Malignancies

The oncologist

article

Oscar Arrieta¹  Luis Lara-Mejía¹  Elysse Bautista-GonzÁlez²  David Heredia¹  Jenny G. Turcott¹  Feliciano BarrÓn¹  Maritza Ramos-Ramírez¹  Luis Cabrera-Miranda¹  Miguel Ángel Salinas Padilla¹  Mercedes Aguerrebere³  Andrés F. Cardona⁴  Christian Rolfo⁵  Marisol Arroyo-HernÁndez¹  Enrique Soto-Pérez-de-Celis⁶  Renata Baéz-Saldaña⁷ 

[1] Thoracic Oncology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología ,(INCan);Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London;Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría;Clinical and Translational Oncology Group;Center for Thoracic Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai Medical System & Icahn School of Medicine;Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición y Salvador Zubirán ,(INCMNSZ);Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias

关键词: Pandemic;    Lung cancer;    Coronavirus disease 2019;    Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2;    Thoracic neoplasms;   

DOI  :  10.1002/onco.13962

学科分类：地质学

来源: AlphaMed Press Incorporated

【 摘 要 】

Background Accumulated evidence indicates that patients with lung cancer are a vulnerable population throughout the pandemic. Limited information is available in Latin America regarding the impact of the pandemic on medical care. The goal of this study was to describe the clinical and social effect of COVID-19 on patients with thoracic cancer and to ascertain outcomes in those with a confirmed diagnosis. Materials and Methods This cohort study included patients with thoracic neoplasms within a single institution between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. All variables of interest were extracted from electronic medical records. During this period, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-2) was applied to evaluate and identify more common psychological disorders. Results The mean age for the total cohort ( n  = 548) was 61.5 ± 12.9 years; non-small cell lung cancer was the most frequent neoplasm (86.9%), advanced stages predominated (80%), and most patients were under active therapy (82.8%). Any change in treatment was reported in 23.9% of patients, of which 78.6% were due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatment delays (≥7 days) were the most frequent modifications in 41.9% of cases, followed by treatment suspension at 37.4%. Patients without treatment changes had a more prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.21, p  < .001 and HR 0.28, p  < .001, respectively). The mean DASS-21 score was 10.45 in 144 evaluated patients, with women being more affected than men (11.41 vs. 9.08, p  < .001). Anxiety was reported in 30.5% of cases, followed by depression and distress in equal proportions (18%). Depressed and stressed patients had higher odds of experiencing delays in treatment than patients without depression (odds ratio [OR] 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53–13.23, p  = .006 and OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.2–10.06, p  = .006, respectively). Conclusion Treatment adjustments in patients with thoracic malignancies often occurred to avoid COVID-19 contagion with detrimental effects on survival. Psychological disorders could have a role in adherence to the original treatment regimen. Implications for Practice The pandemic has placed an enormous strain on health care systems globally. Patients with thoracic cancers represent a vulnerable population, with increased morbidity and mortality rates. In Mexico, treatment modifications were common during the pandemic, and those who experienced delays had worse survival outcomes. Most treatment modifications were related to a patient decision rather than a lockdown of health care facilities in which mental health impairment plays an essential role. Moreover, the high case fatality rate highlights the importance of improving medical care access. Likewise, to develop strategies facing future threats that may compromise health care systems in non-developed countries.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC