Page 123 - Portuguese Journal - SPORL - Vol 61. Nº1
P. 123
Head and Neck Cancer during COVID-19
pandemic: Diagnosis and treatment
delays?
Original Article
Authors Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of Coronavirus
Mónica Teixeira disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of patients
Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho with head and neck cancer (HNC).
Study design: Clinical data analysis of HNC patients
Cristina Aguiar who started treatment before COVID-19 pandemic
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro
Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho period: from September 1st, 2018 to March 10th,
2020 (Group A) and after COVID-19 pandemic
Rita Gama period: from March 11th, 2020 to September 30th,
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro 2021 (Group B).
Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho Results: We included 177 patients. After the onset
of COVID-19 pandemic, there was larger tumoral
Sandra Alves extent and more advanced regional lymph node
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro involvement. Moreover, there was a longer duration
Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho of symptoms until medical evaluation (p=0,009).
However, the time interval between the histological
Pedro Oliveira
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro diagnosis and the beginning of the treatment was
Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho shorter (p=0,008), even in the subgroup of patients
who underwent surgery.
Conclusions: Despite the significant delay in
seeking medical care, there was a quick response
in approaching patients with HNC during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Head and neck cancer;
Delayed Diagnoses; Time-to-treatment
Introduction
Head and neck cancer (HNC) accounts for
approximately 5.3% of all cancers worldwide .
1
Considering its aggressive behavior and rapid
progression, a delay in the diagnosis and
treatment of this cancer is associated, in most
cases, with a poor long-term prognosis . The
2,3
time interval from the onset of symptoms to
medical observation, diagnosis confirmation,
and the start of treatment is influenced
by numerous factors, including patient-
Correspondência:
Mónica Teixeira dependent factors, characteristics of the
4
monicarpteixeira.10@gmail.com tumor, and the health care service .
On March 11, 2020, the World Health
Article received on October 8, 2022. Organization declared the coronavirus disease
Accepted for publication on December 20, 2022. (COVID-19) a pandemic, which inevitably
Volume 61 . Nº1 . March 2023 123
