Evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tertiary gynaecological cancer care delivery: a population based study
Ce dossier présente un ensemble d'articles concernant la prise en charge des cancers durant la crise sanitaire liée au COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of delays and alterations in cancer treatment pathways have emerged. We aim to evaluate the proportional impact of the pandemic over time on standard care delivery in a large tertiary gynaecological cancer centre. Consecutive patient records from weekly multidisciplinary team meetings were collected prospectively between 6 March 2020 and 26 March 2021. In total, 1943 patient discussions were held in our multidisciplinary team meetings during the study period, with 2.1% standard management decisions being altered due to the pandemic, the majority of which occurred during the first wave. Amongst alterations, 87.5% were deferral of surgery, and, in 62.5% of cases, were due to reduced critical care capacity. The majority of patients were offered alternative treatment, and surgery once resources permitted. During subsequent waves of COVID-19, with similar reductions in critical care capacity, we demonstrate avoidance of a second major increase in standard care pathway alterations.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , résumé, 2021