Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on short-term postoperative outcomes after gastroenterological cancer surgery using data from a nationwide database in Japan.

Background: Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment have changed. This study aimed to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection prior to gastroenterological cancer surgeries on postoperative complications using data from a nationwide database in Japan.
Methods: Data on patients who underwent surgery for cancer including esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, liver, and pancreatic cancer between July 1, 2019, and September 300, 2022, from real-world sources in Japan were analyzed. The association between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and short-term postoperative outcomes was evaluated. A similar analysis stratified according to the interval from SARS-CoV-2 infection to surgery (<4 vs. >4 weeks) was conducted.
Results: In total, 60 604 patients were analyzed, and 227 (0.4%) patients were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection preoperatively. The median interval from SARS-CoV-2 infection to surgery was 25 days. Patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection preoperatively had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-3.74; p  = 0.036) than those not diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection based on the exact logistic regression analysis adjusted for the characteristics of the patients. A similar finding was observed in patients who had SARS-CoV-2 infection <4 weeks before surgery.
Conclusions: Patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia. This finding can be particularly valuable for countries that have implemented strict regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have lower SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality rates.
Competing Interests: Dr. Kitagawa received grants and personal fees from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation; grants, personal fees, and others from Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; grants and personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc.; grants and personal fees from Nippon Covidien Inc.; grants, personal fees, and others from Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; grants, personal fees, and others from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; grants and personal fees from Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; personal fees from AstraZeneca K.K.; personal fees from Ethicon Inc.; personal fees from Olympus Corporation; personal fees from Shionogi & Co., Ltd.; personal fees and others from Bristol‐Myers Squibb K.K.; personal fees from MSD K.K.; personal fees from Smith & Nephew K.K.; personal fees from ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; personal fees from Miyarisan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; personal fees from Toray Industries, Inc.; personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited; personal fees from Chugai Foundation for Innovative Drug Discovery Science; personal fees from Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; grants from Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.; grants from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; grants from Tsumura & Co.; grants from Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.; grants and personal fees from EA Pharma Co., Ltd.; grants from Eisai Co., Ltd.; grants from Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.; grants from Medicon Inc.; grants from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; grants from Teijin Pharma Limited; and personal fees from Intuitive Surgical G.K., outside the submitted work. Yuko Kitagawa is a Chief Editor of Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery. Masaki Mori is Emeritus Editor‐in‐Chief of Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery. Yasuyuki Seto, Yoshihiro Kakeji and Hideki Ueno are Associate Editors of Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery.
(© 2024 The Authors. Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery.)