Breast cancer patients with delayed radiotherapy during the pandemic process

Abstract

Aim: In this study; We wanted to examine the changes and delays in radiotherapy of all our breast cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19
 Material and Method: Radiotherapy delays of our breast cancer patients who had COVID-19 infection before and during radiotherapy between March 2020 and March 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. 
 Results: Sixteen of a total of 642 breast cancer patients, 472 operated and 165 metastatic, who underwent radiotherapy were diagnosed with COVID-19. All patients were women, ages were between 40 and 77 (mean 54.6). Five patients had a mastectomy, 8 had breast-conserving surgery, and 3 had breast cancer with bone metastases. Different radiotherapy schemes were applied at different treatment duration according to the clinical stage and disease status. The first breast cancer patient with COVID-19 infection was diagnosed on 27 June 2020. Our other patients were diagnosed from June to December (n=15) in 2020. Treatment of patients infected during radiotherapy was interrupted after a mean of 10 fractions (2-24 fractions) and treatment was started after a mean of 25 days (21-44 days). Post-operative patients who could not start treatment because they were SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive were able to start treatment after a mean of 22 days (14-30 days). 
 Conclusion: Radiotherapy could not be started at the recommended times for breast cancer patients infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic and the treatments had to be interrupted. Therefore, more care should be taken in the follow-up of these patients; should be considered as patients at risk for local recurrence and metastasis.