Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer surgery

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-19 pandemic has changed the course of diseases that require emergency surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer disease stage. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective analysis in the city of Rize, Turkey. METHODS: This was a comparative analysis on two groups of patients with various symptoms who underwent surgical colorectal cancer treatment. Group 1 comprised patients operated between March 11, 2019, and December 31, 2019; while group 2 comprised patients at the same time of the year during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Groups 1 and 2 included 56 and 48 patients, respectively. The rate of presentation to the emergency service was higher in Group 2 (P < 0.02). The stage of the pathological lymph nodes and the rate of liver metastasis was higher in Group 2 (P < 0.004 and P < 0.041, respectively). The disease stage was found to be more advanced in Group 2 (P < 0.005). The rate of postoperative complications was higher in Group 2 (P < 0.014). CONCLUSION: The presentation of patients with suspicious findings to the hospital was delayed, due both to the fear of catching COVID-19 and to the pandemic precautions that were proposed and implemented by healthcare authorities worldwide. Among the patients who presented to the hospital with emergency complaints and in whom colorectal cancer was detected, their disease was at a more advanced stage and thus a higher number of emergency oncological surgical procedures were performed on those patients.

The Progress of Thyroid Cancer in the Covid 19 Period

“…Rostan et al demonstrated in their study that there is a linear relationship between the increase in tumour diameter in thyroid cancer, and mortality and recurrence 38 . In addition, in our study on colorectal cancers during the COVID-19 period, it was found that the tumour diameter, lymph node metastasis, and stage of the disease advanced with the delay in diagnosis 39 . In our study, it was found that the tumour diameter was significantly larger in Group 2.…”

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outcomes of surgically treated colorectal diseases: a retrospective cohort study

“…Most of the relevant studies available in the literature addressed the outcomes of the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer cases during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 1 17 18 19 20 ]. In comparison, this study addressed all colorectal cases, including those with malignant and benign pathologies and those who underwent elective and emergent admissions/operations during the prepandemic and pandemic periods.…”

“…The histopathological upstaging of colorectal cancer is another issue that has been speculated to be associated with delays in recognizing the symptoms of colorectal cancer, its diagnosis, and colorectal cancer surgery during the pandemic period [ 1 13 18 23 24 ]. In Uyan et al’s study [ 1 ], for instance, the authors found higher rates of emergency operations and more patients with N and M stages for colorectal cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. They speculated that the increase in the number of advanced cancer cases was associated with the pandemic [ 1 ].…”

“…In Uyan et al’s study [ 1 ], for instance, the authors found higher rates of emergency operations and more patients with N and M stages for colorectal cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. They speculated that the increase in the number of advanced cancer cases was associated with the pandemic [ 1 ]. Along these lines, Choi et al [ 4 ] demonstrated that surgical aggressiveness, including combined multiorgan resections, was associated with the pandemic.…”

“…There have been significant changes in the surgical treatments of several life-threatening diseases, including colorectal emergencies and tumors, since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out [ 1 ]. The most significant change was a decrease in the general public’s access to healthcare services [ 1 2 3 4 ]. The negative effect of the pandemic on the number of primary care referrals and admissions for suspected colorectal cancer has been reported [ 5 ].…”