Abstract:

Aim: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic the following March. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, but the impact of the global pandemic on health services has severely affected the delivery of health care, including the diagnosis and treatment of CRC. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical and pathological stages of CRC patients at the time of operation. Method: Our study evaluated CRC patients who underwent surgery in a 6-month (May-October 2020) period during the COVID-19 pandemic and patients operated due to CRC in the same period of 2019, before the pandemic. Data collected included time of admission, complaints at admission, cancer stage and clinical characteristics, length of hospital stay, and complication and mortality rates. Results: The study included 47 patients operated during the pandemic and 83 patients operated in the corresponding period, one year earlier. The number of cancerous lymph nodes, rates of lymphovascular and perineural invasion, and complication and mortality rates were significantly higher in patients operated during the pandemic, while the pathological stage and the rate of receiving adjuvant treatment were higher. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic CRC patients presented with delayed diagnosis or more advanced cancer, leading to a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. Adjustment of health care provision during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, should be planned to minimize the impact on emergency, cancer and infectious disease services.

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