Has the Covid-19 Pandemic Influenced the Management of Head and Neck Cancer Patients? a Single-centre Study
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objectives The aim of the present study was to assess whether the current COVID-19 pandemic affect the management of patients with head and neck cancer in a major tertiary hospital in Greece. Materials and Methods A retrospective comparative study was performed, assessing the hospitalization of patients with head and neck cancer in the university-affiliated Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. A 12-month analysis was performed, from March 2020 to February 2021, as the first COVID period. For comparative reasons, patients from March 2019 to February 2020 were recorded (pre-COVID period). All head and neck cancer patients operated during both periods were included in the study. Results In total, 168 patients were included. Of those, 88 were operated in the pre-COVID period and 80 in the COVID period (p=0.53). The mean age was similar in the two groups (67.3 years), with a slight male predominance in both groups. 40 patients with advance tumours (T3 and T4) were included in both groups respectively. Similar were the frequency of patients with lymph node disease. Conclusions Despite the surge of COVID-19 patients in our hospital and the difficulties that arised from the lack of human and technical resources, our Department managed to address to the head and neck cancer patients who presented during the COVID period. Qualitative data shows a similar rate of patients with head and neck cancer before and after the pandemic who were successfully operated in our Department.
DOI: 10.54936/haoms231o1
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4224254032