TITLE:
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Radiotherapy Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study
AUTHORS:
Kenza Benali, Houda Benmessaoud, Halima Ahmut, Sanaa El Majjaoui, Tayeb Kebdani, Khalid Hassouni, Hanan El Kacemi, Noureddine Benjaafar
KEYWORDS:
Cancer, COVID-19 Pandemic, Lockdown, Radiotherapy, Compliance
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: The
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the
imposition of a strict nationwide lockdown, which has affected all aspects of
healthcare, including the delivery of standard care to cancer patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
patient attendance at a radiotherapy department during the lockdown period. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients planned for radiotherapy
at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. Patient compliance to
radiotherapy during the lockdown period was measured and compared with that
during the same period in 2019. Data regarding age, sex, tumor site and
treatment-related factors were analyzed and compared with those during the same
period in 2019. Results: We included a total of 650 patients, 348
patients in Group A (control period) and 302 in Group B (lockdown period).
Patients were aged between 30 and 70 years in about 85%, with a female
predominance in both groups. The most common sites of occurrence of cancer were
breast, female reproductive organs and the head and neck. A 13.2% reduction in
the number of treated patients and a 16.9% reduction in the number of sessions
was observed. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of breast
cancers treated (P = 0.03). The proportion of patients receiving palliative
radiotherapy increased significantly (P = 0.03), with a significant increase in
the use of single-fraction palliative radiation therapy (P = 0.006). There was
a significant difference in the compliance to radiotherapy during the lockdown
period (92.3% versus 86.4%, P = 0.01); delays and interruptions were due to
travel restrictions (58.5%) and fear of contamination (29.2%). No patient was
tested positive for COVID-19 during radiotherapy during the study period. Conclusion: We observed a decrease in the number of treated patients during the
lockdown despite our efforts to maintain the treatment routine. A significant
decrease in radiotherapy compliance was noted during the lockdown. The
proportion of irradiated breast cancers decreased significantly during the
lockdown while patients treated with palliative intent increased significantly,
with increased use of single-fraction palliative radiotherapy.