2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P2.28. Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Lung Cancer Diagnosis in a German Comprehensive Cancer Center. Are we still paying the debt?

P2.28. Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Lung Cancer Diagnosis in a German Comprehensive Cancer Center. Are we still paying the debt? - PDF(Slides)

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the diagnosis of lung cancer in Germany. This study investigated the effects of safety measures implemented during the pandemic on the new diagnosis rate of lung cancer in a comprehensive cancer center in Germany.<br /><br />The study compared data from three periods: before the pandemic (group A), during the safety measures (group B), and after the safety measures (group C). The number of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases decreased by 17.3% during the safety measures compared to the period before. Although the number slightly increased after the safety measures were lifted, it still remained lower than before the pandemic.<br /><br />There was a significant increase in the number of patients diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer (stage IV) in group C compared to group A. Additionally, there was a decline in the number of patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer (stage I) during the safety measures, and this number only slightly increased after the safety measures were lifted.<br /><br />The study also looked at the distribution of lung cancer stages and histology. There was no significant change in the distribution of stage II and stage III lung cancers between the different periods. However, there was a higher percentage of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases in group C compared to group A and B, particularly in patients diagnosed at a metastatic stage.<br /><br />Overall, the study findings suggest that the number of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases decreased during the safety measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not fully returned to baseline levels. There was also a shift towards more advanced stages of lung cancer at diagnosis. These findings highlight the impact of the pandemic on access to healthcare and the importance of continuing efforts to ensure timely and effective diagnosis of lung cancer.

Asset Subtitle

Jane Winantea

Meta Tag

Speaker Jane Winantea

Topic Global Health, Health Services & Health Economics: COVID 19

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic

diagnosis

lung cancer

Germany

safety measures

new diagnosis rate

metastatic lung cancer

early-stage lung cancer

distribution of lung cancer stages

small cell lung cancer