1. Delays in diagnosis and surgery of sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain
- Author
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Pfizer, Junta de Andalucía, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carrillo-García, Jaime, Lacerenza, Serena, Hindi, Nadia, Carrasco-García, Irene, Marquina, Gloria, Cano Cano, Juana María, Martínez-Trufero, Javier, Sevillano Tripero, Alberto Rafael, Luis García, Tania, Cuesta Rioboo, Manuel Jorge, Moura, David S., Renshaw, Marta, Mondaza-Hernández, José L., Di Lernia, Davide, Gutierrez, Antonio, Martín-Broto, Javier, Pfizer, Junta de Andalucía, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carrillo-García, Jaime, Lacerenza, Serena, Hindi, Nadia, Carrasco-García, Irene, Marquina, Gloria, Cano Cano, Juana María, Martínez-Trufero, Javier, Sevillano Tripero, Alberto Rafael, Luis García, Tania, Cuesta Rioboo, Manuel Jorge, Moura, David S., Renshaw, Marta, Mondaza-Hernández, José L., Di Lernia, Davide, Gutierrez, Antonio, and Martín-Broto, Javier
- Abstract
[Background and objectives] Social distancing and quarantine implanted during the COVID-19 outbreak could have delayed the accession of oncologic patients to hospitals and treatments. This study analysed the management of sarcoma patients during this period in five Spanish hospitals., [Design and methods] Clinical data from adult sarcoma patients, soft tissue and bone sarcomas, managed during the COVID-19 outbreak, from 15 March to 14 September 2020 (Covid cohort), were retrospectively collected and time for diagnosis, surgery and active treatments were compared with sarcoma patients managed during the same pre-pandemic period in 2018 (Control cohort)., [Results] A total of 126 and 182 new sarcoma patients were enrolled in the Covid and Control cohorts, respectively, who were mainly diagnosed as soft tissue sarcomas (81.0% and 80.8%) and at localized stage (80.2% and 79.1%). A diagnostic delay was observed in the Covid cohort with a median time for the diagnosis of 102.5 days (range 6–355) versus 83 days (range 5–328) in the Control cohort (p = 0.034). Moreover, a delay in surgery was observed in cases with localized disease from the Covid cohort with a median time of 96.0 days (range 11–265) versus 54.5 days (range 2–331) in the Control cohort (p = 0.034). However, a lower delay for neoadjuvant radiotherapy was observed in the Covid cohort with a median time from the diagnosis to the neoadjuvant radiotherapy of 47 days (range 27–105) versus 91 days (range 27–294) in the Control cohort (p = 0.039). No significant differences for adjuvant radiotherapy, neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant/adjuvant palliative chemotherapy were observed between both cohorts. Neither progression-free survival (PFS) nor overall survival (OS) was significantly different., [Conclusion] Delays in diagnosis and surgery were retrospectively observed in sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, while the time for neoadjuvant radiotherapy was reduced. However, no impact on the PFS and OS was observed.
- Published
- 2024