Ear, nose, and throat service during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Peigneux, Nicolas; Benchimol, Lionel; Bendavid, Guillaume; Detroz, Marie; Marecaux, Chloe; Pottier, Loïc; Samaha, Marc; Lefebvre, Patricia; Poirrier, Anne‐Lise

doi:10.5152/b-ent.2021.20183

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons in Europe were advised to take precautions to avoid exposure to COVID-19, including avoiding endoscopic examinations as well as non-urgent and non-cancer surgeries ( 2 ). At least one center in Belgium reported severe disruptions to otolaryngology services ( 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stage shift and relative survival for head and neck cancer during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study of temporal trends

Peacock,

De Gendt,

Silversmit

et al. 2023

Front. Oncol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveDuring the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, non-essential health services were suspended in Belgium, and the public was ordered to socially isolate. Underdiagnosis of cancer during this period was reported worldwide. Certain risk factors for head and neck cancer (HNC) overlap with those for COVID-19 incidence and mortality, making underdiagnosis and subsequent stage shift of this potentially rapidly progressing cancer a major concern. We aimed to analyze incidence, clinical stage at presentation, and survival of patients diagnosed with HNC in 2020 in Belgium, considering recent temporal trends.MethodsUsing population-based data from the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), we extrapolated 2017-2019 trends in incidence, clinical stage, and 1-year relative survival (1yRS) of HNC to create an expected value for 2020 and compared this to the observed value.ResultsThere were 9.5% fewer HNCs diagnosed in 2020, compared to the predicted incidence. Underdiagnosis was larger for males (-11.8%), patients aged 50-64 (-11.2%) and 65-79 (-11.1%), and for oral cavity cancer (-17.6%). Shifts to more advanced stages were observed in larynx and oropharynx tumors and for (male) patients aged 80+. A 2.4 percentage point decline in 1yRS was observed, relative to the increasing trends in 1yRS (2017-2019).ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic led to underdiagnosis of HNC, resulting in shifts to more advanced stage at presentation in certain subgroups. A stage shift can be expected for the 9.5% of tumors not yet diagnosed at the end of 2020. HNC patients diagnosed in 2020 suffered higher than expected mortality.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%