Unveiling the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lung Cancer Surgery

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2024-06, Vol.60 (6), p.964
• Main Authors: Cozma, Gabriel Veniamin, Muntean, Calin, Faur, Alaviana Monique, Gaborean, Vasile, Petrache, Ioan Adrian, Feier, Catalin Vladut Ionut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Analysis; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Chi-square test; Comorbidity; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 pandemic; Female; Females; Gender; Health aspects; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; length of hospitalization; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Localization; Lung cancer; lung cancer surgery; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Oncology, Experimental; Pandemics; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgery; surgical postponement; Thoracic surgery; Tumors; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060964

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the surgical treatment of lung cancer patients. Data from patients who underwent surgery during the pandemic were analyzed and compared to pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Multiple parameters were examined, and their changes yielded significant results compared to other periods of the study. The statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in the number of surgical interventions during the pandemic ( < 0.001), followed by a significant rebound thereafter. During this period, there was a significant increase in the T stage of cancer compared to both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods ( = 0.027). Additionally, the mean Charlson comorbidity index score was significantly higher during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period ( = 0.042). In this crisis period, a significant decrease was recorded in both the total hospitalization duration ( = 0.015) and the pre-operative hospitalization duration ( = 0.006). These findings provide evidence of significant changes in clinical and therapeutic strategies applied to lung cancer surgery patients during the study period. The pandemic has had a substantial and complex impact, the full extent of which remains to be fully understood.