Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply
Background. The impetuous entrance of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy in March 2020, after the onset and diffusion in China, found the health system widely unfit to face the large amount of infected patients. The matter of this investigation was to evaluate how pandemic fear and guidelines for limiti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Radiology Research and Practice |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5550536 |
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| author | Francesco Tramacere Artor Niccoli Asabella Maurizio Portaluri Corinna Altini Cristina Ferrari Lilia Bardoscia Angela Sardaro |
| author_facet | Francesco Tramacere Artor Niccoli Asabella Maurizio Portaluri Corinna Altini Cristina Ferrari Lilia Bardoscia Angela Sardaro |
| author_sort | Francesco Tramacere |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. The impetuous entrance of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy in March 2020, after the onset and diffusion in China, found the health system widely unfit to face the large amount of infected patients. The matter of this investigation was to evaluate how pandemic fear and guidelines for limiting the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 virus could have impacted the regular supply of radiotherapy (RT) and the outcome of the treatments. Materials and Methods. From March 9, 2020, to May 29, 2020, a register has been established to record patients that cancelled or postponed the RT appointment. The reasons were as follows: (1) patients whose appointments were postponed by the staff according to national guidelines; (2) patients who asked themselves to postpone the appointment; (3) patients who interrupted the treatment for causes directly or indirectly related to the pandemic; (4) patients who cancelled their care path. Results. A total number of 277 patients started regular RT, and 384 respected their computed tomography (CT) simulation appointment, but 60 of them had alteration of their therapeutic pathway. Among these, 18 cancelled their appointment. 42 patients asked to postpone their procedure. Twenty-seven out of 42 adduced directly or indirectly SARS-CoV-2 infection-related reasons. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the regular RT delivery to oncologic patients, owing to the delay or cancellation of procedures with the likely effect to observe worsening of local disease control and reduced survival rates in the future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1380a21e7df34687aa978224b1e2e610 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-1941 2090-195X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Radiology Research and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-1380a21e7df34687aa978224b1e2e6102025-02-03T01:25:26ZengWileyRadiology Research and Practice2090-19412090-195X2021-01-01202110.1155/2021/55505365550536Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy SupplyFrancesco Tramacere0Artor Niccoli Asabella1Maurizio Portaluri2Corinna Altini3Cristina Ferrari4Lilia Bardoscia5Angela Sardaro6Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiotherapy, O. Policlinic “A. Perrino”, Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, ItalyNuclear Medicine Unit, A. O. Policlinic “A. Perrino”, Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, ItalyRadiation Oncology, Department of Radiotherapy, O. Policlinic “A. Perrino”, Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, ItalyNuclear Medicine Unit, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, ItalyNuclear Medicine Unit, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, ItalyRadiotherapy Unit, Clinical Cancer Centre, AUSL-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, ItalySection of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, ItalyBackground. The impetuous entrance of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy in March 2020, after the onset and diffusion in China, found the health system widely unfit to face the large amount of infected patients. The matter of this investigation was to evaluate how pandemic fear and guidelines for limiting the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 virus could have impacted the regular supply of radiotherapy (RT) and the outcome of the treatments. Materials and Methods. From March 9, 2020, to May 29, 2020, a register has been established to record patients that cancelled or postponed the RT appointment. The reasons were as follows: (1) patients whose appointments were postponed by the staff according to national guidelines; (2) patients who asked themselves to postpone the appointment; (3) patients who interrupted the treatment for causes directly or indirectly related to the pandemic; (4) patients who cancelled their care path. Results. A total number of 277 patients started regular RT, and 384 respected their computed tomography (CT) simulation appointment, but 60 of them had alteration of their therapeutic pathway. Among these, 18 cancelled their appointment. 42 patients asked to postpone their procedure. Twenty-seven out of 42 adduced directly or indirectly SARS-CoV-2 infection-related reasons. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the regular RT delivery to oncologic patients, owing to the delay or cancellation of procedures with the likely effect to observe worsening of local disease control and reduced survival rates in the future.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5550536 |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Tramacere Artor Niccoli Asabella Maurizio Portaluri Corinna Altini Cristina Ferrari Lilia Bardoscia Angela Sardaro Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply Radiology Research and Practice |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on radiotherapy supply |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5550536 |
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