COVID-19 and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Impact of the Pandemic on Unequal Access to Healthcare

Most skin tumors are not fatal, but if not treated in a timely manner, they can lead to significant morbidity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to create more capacities for the treatment of COVID-19-positive patients as well as to contain the spread of the virus, the healthcare system was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Healthcare (Basel) 2023-07, Vol.11 (14), p.1994
Main Authors: Jović, Marko, Marinković, Milana, Suđecki, Branko, Jurišić, Milana, Bukumirić, Zoran, Jovanović, Milan, Stojičić, Milan, Jeremić, Jelena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
accessibility to healthcare
Cancer
Care and treatment
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Data analysis
Disease transmission
Epidemics
Health care disparities
healthcare
Histopathology
Hospitals
Influence
Localization
Medical prognosis
Metastasis
Oncology, Experimental
Pandemics
Patient admissions
Public health
Skin
Skin cancer
skin tumors
Social aspects
Squamous cell carcinoma
Surgery
Tumors
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Summary:Most skin tumors are not fatal, but if not treated in a timely manner, they can lead to significant morbidity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to create more capacities for the treatment of COVID-19-positive patients as well as to contain the spread of the virus, the healthcare system was reorganized worldwide, leading to decreased access to preventive screening programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on healthcare accessibility to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients in Serbia. This retrospective study was conducted at the Clinic for Burns, Plastic, and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade. Patient demographics and pathohistological findings of tumors of patients living in and outside the capital in the period before, during, and after the pandemic were compared. The two groups did not show any differences regarding the largest tumor diameter prior and during the pandemic; however, this difference became extremely noticeable after the pandemic (15 mm vs. 27 mm; < 0.001). While cSCCs are commonly slow-growing tumors, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not negligible. This study found a population at a significant risk of cSCC metastasis, with additional evidence likely to emerge in the upcoming years.
ISSN:2227-9032
2227-9032
DOI:10.3390/healthcare11141994