RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Breast Cancer Surgery in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Validation of a Preventive Program for Patients and Health Care Workers
JF In Vivo
JO In Vivo
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 635
OP 639
DO 10.21873/invivo.12302
VO 35
IS 1
A1 PIERO FREGATTI
A1 MARCO GIPPONI
A1 MARIA GIACCHINO
A1 MARCO SPARAVIGNA
A1 RAQUEL DIAZ
A1 EMANUELA FIORAVANTI
A1 CHIARA CORNACCHIA
A1 BENEDETTA CONTE
A1 MATTEO LAMBERTINI
A1 GABRIELE ZOPPOLI
A1 FEDERICA MURELLI
A1 MARIA LUISA TONI
A1 MARIA TERESA CALABRO
A1 LINA ORSINO
A1 DANIELE FRIEDMAN
YR 2021
UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/35/1/635.abstract
AB Background/Aim: The perspective validation of a selective approach in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery was performed in order to assess whether patients as well as Health Care Workers (HCWs) were exposed to any undue risk of COVD-19 infection. Patients and Methods: From March 9th to June 9th 2020, 207 patients were phone-triaged by a dedicated Breast Care Nurse; a patient-tailored program was adopted with the aim of avoiding hospitalization of SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic patients, with a careful prioritization of surgical procedures according to specific disease features. Results: Two hundred and three out of 207 patients underwent operation; seven patients were temporarily excluded because they tested positive at phone triage (n=3), or in-hospital triage (n=3); another asymptomatic patient with negative NP swab tested IgM Ab-positive so that surgery was re-scheduled two weeks later. Four patients had no surgery; one of them was reconsidered for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) after testing positive at phone triage; three patients were excluded because they were already hospitalized for COVID-19. Overall, mean in-hospital stay was 2.2 days (±SD, 0.7) and, after hospital discharge, no patient required readmission. Conclusion: This preventive program avoided any COVID-19 infection among patients and HCWs, so that an elective breast cancer surgical procedure can be safely and timely pursued without affecting the oncologic outcome.