Impact of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on wait times in head and neck cancer: A retrospective study in a French expert center - 23/04/24

Doi : 10.1016/j.anorl.2024.04.001

A.-L. Potier ^a, M. Leroy ^b, G. Mortuaire ^a, B. Rysman ^a, M. Morisse ^a, F. Mouawad ^a,^c,⁎
^a ENT and Head and Neck Department, Huriez Hospital, Lille University, CHU de Lille, rue Michel-Polonovski, 59037 Lille cedex, France
^b METRICS: Évaluation des Technologies de Santé et des Pratiques Médicales, ULR 2694, Université de Lille, CHU de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
^c Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies (CANTHER), UMR9020, CNRS, U1277 Inserm, Université de Lille, CHU de Lille, COL, 59037 Lille cedex, France

^⁎Corresponding author at: Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies (CANTHER), UMR9020, CNRS, U1277 Inserm, Université de Lille, CHU de Lille, COL, 59037 Lille cedex, France.Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies (CANTHER), UMR9020, CNRS, U1277 Inserm, Université de Lille, CHU de Lille, COLLille cedex59037France

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Abstract

Background

Treatment delay in head and neck cancer is a major problem, with impact on survival. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, evolving in waves around the world, caused diagnostic and therapeutic delays in certain cancers. The main objective of the present study was to analyze whether there was a change in wait times during three successive waves in our center.

Method

This was a single-center retrospective study of patients with a first diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Three groups, corresponding to waves 2, 3 and 4, were compared to a control group corresponding to a pre-pandemic period. Study data comprised median times between first consultation and tumor board meeting (C1-TB) and between tumor board meeting and treatment (TB-T). The significance threshold was set at P<0.005.

Results

Ninety-six patients were included in the control group, and 154 in the “waves 2-3-4” group. There was no increase in C1-TB interval (respectively 35 and 26days, P=0.046) or TB-T interval (respectively 27 and 28days, P=0.723).

Conclusion

Intervals between first consultation and tumor board meeting and between tumor board meeting and treatment did not increase during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th waves of COVID-19 in our center.

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Keywords : COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Head and neck cancer, Treatment times, Tumor board