PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - OANA GABRIELA TRIFANESCU
AU  - LAURENTIA GALES
AU  - XENIA BACINSCHI
AU  - LUIZA SERBANESCU
AU  - MIHAI GEORGESCU
AU  - ALEXANDRA SANDU
AU  - ALEXANDRU MICHIRE
AU  - RODICA ANGHEL
TI  - Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Treatment and Oncologic Outcomes for Cancer Patients in Romania
AID  - 10.21873/invivo.12783
DP  - 2022 Mar 01
TA  - In Vivo
PG  - 934--941
VI  - 36
IP  - 2
4099  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/36/2/934.short
4100  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/36/2/934.full
SO  - In Vivo2022 Mar 01; 36
AB  - Background/Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients, known to be immune-compromised due to the disease itself, oncological treatments and adjuvant medicines use such as steroids. Overall survival was determined for patients with COVID-19 infection and stratification according to known comorbidities and complications was performed. Patients and Methods: This prospective study included ninety cancer patients with COVID-19 confirmed by PCR testing performed before each cycle of chemotherapy or every two weeks during radiotherapy between May and December 2020 in two tertiary Cancer Centers. Demographic, cancer-related and SARS-CoV-2 infection data were collected and long-term oncologic outcome was assessed. Results: Mean age of cancer patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 was 59.7±12.1 years (range=30-83 years). Fifty-two (57.7%) were women. The most frequent cancer localization was breast (n=28, 31.1%) followed by colorectal (n=11, 12.2%) and lung cancer (n=8, 8.8%). Most patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 were diagnosed in stage IV of the disease (n=44, 48.9%) followed by stage III (n=19, 21.1%) and stage II disease (18.9%). Regarding comorbidities, the most common was hypertension (n=31) followed by cardiac dysfunction (n=23) and type II diabetes (n=13). Of 27 (30%) patients who needed hospitalization, 4 patients developed severe infection, 17 patients had mild symptoms and 6 patients were minimally symptomatic. After a median follow-up of 22.5 months, 5 patients (5.55%) died due to SARS-COV-2 infection, all stages III and IV. Median estimated overall survival was 14 months in patients who died because of COVID infection compared to 98 months in cancer-related mortality analysis (p<0.0001). Three deaths occurred during chemotherapy, 1 death in the chemoradiotherapy radiotherapy group. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an excess mortality in our study population, especially in patients with advanced and metastatic disease and in those receiving immunosuppressive treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.