COVID-19: hypofractionation in the Radiation Oncology Department during the “State of Alarm”: first 100 patients in a private hospital in Spain

Larrea, L.; López, Enrique Guillén; Antonini, Paola; González, Verónica; Berenguer, M.A.; Baños, M.C.; Bea, Jose; Domingo, José

doi:10.3332/ecancer.2020.1052

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“… 15 In addition, many centers are adopting hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens, especially for patients whose treatment cannot be delayed, including early breast cancer. 16 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer and COVID-19 Experiences at African Cancer Centers: The Silver Lining

Grossheim¹,

Ruff

Ngoma

et al. 2021

JCO Global Oncology

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PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted cancer care in Africa, further exposing major health disparities. This paper compares and contrasts the experiences of 15 clinicians in six different African cancer centers to highlight the positive aspects (silver linings) in an otherwise negative situation. METHODS Data are from personal experience of the clinicians working at the six cancer centers blended with what is available in the literature. RESULTS The impact of COVID-19 on cancer care appeared to vary not only across the continent but also over cancer centers. Different factors such as clinic location, services offered, available resources, and level of restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 were associated with these variations. Collectively, delays in treatment and limited access to cancer care were commonly reported in the different regions. CONCLUSION There is a lack of data on cancer patients with COVID-19 and online COVID-19 and cancer registries for Africa. Analysis of the available data, however, suggests a higher mortality rate for cancer patients with COVID-19 compared with those without cancer. Positive or silver linings coming out of the pandemic include the adoption of hypofractionated radiation therapy and teleoncology to enhance access to care while protecting patients and staff members. Increasing collaborations using online technology with oncology health professionals across the world are also being seen as a silver lining, with valuable sharing of experiences and expertise to improve care, enhance learning, and reduce disparities. Advanced information and communication technologies are seen as vital for such collaborations and could avail efforts in dealing with the ongoing pandemic and potential future crises.

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“… 15 In addition, many centers are adopting hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens, especially for patients whose treatment cannot be delayed, including early breast cancer. 16 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer and COVID-19 Experiences at African Cancer Centers: The Silver Lining

Grossheim¹,

Ruff

Ngoma

et al. 2021

JCO Global Oncology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…We identified two case series, 49 , 51 three cross-sectional studies, 45 - 47 and four analytical cross-sectional studies. 43 , 44 , 48 , 50 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sample sizes ranged from 15 51 to 585. 50 The strategies target health care for nonspecified types of cancers, 44 , 48 - 50 breast cancer, 47 - 51 head and neck cancer, 43 , 45 and lung cancer. 46 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in one study, successful implementation of hypofractionated radiotherapy schemes found a low frequency of radiotherapy delay. 48 Reducing the complexity of surgical services also had a positive impact on reducing subsequent healthcare service utilization. A study on same-day surgery reconstruction for patients with breast cancer revealed a low frequency of readmissions and emergency department visits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Strategies for Mitigating Delays and Disruptions in Cancer Care Due to COVID-19: Systematic Review

Pacheco

Martimbianco

Roitberg

et al. 2021

JCO Global Oncology

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PURPOSE Delays and disruptions in health systems because of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified by a previous systematic review from our group. For improving the knowledge about the pandemic consequences for cancer care, this article aims to identify the effects of mitigation strategies developed to reduce the impact of such delays and disruptions. METHODS Systematic review with a comprehensive search including formal databases, cancer and COVID-19 data sources, gray literature, and manual search. We considered clinical trials, observational longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, before-and-after studies, case series, and case studies. The selection, data extraction, and methodological assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by specific tools. The mitigation strategies identified were described in detail and their effects were summarized narratively. RESULTS Of 6,692 references reviewed, 28 were deemed eligible, and 9 studies with low to moderate methodological quality were included. Five multiple strategies and four single strategies were reported, and the possible effects of mitigating delays and disruptions in cancer care because of COVID-19 are inconsistent. The only comparative study reported a 48.7% reduction observed in the number of outpatient visits to the hospital accompanied by a small reduction in imaging and an improvement in radiation treatments after the implementation of a multiple organizational strategy. CONCLUSION The findings emphasize the infrequency of measuring and reporting mitigation strategies that specifically address patients' outcomes and thus a scarcity of high-quality evidence to inform program development. This review reinforces the need of adopting standardized measurement methods to monitor the impact of the mitigation strategies proposed to reduce the effects of delays and disruptions in cancer health care because of COVID-19.

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“…Hypofractionation is the most reported consensus of RT departments during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize the risk of cancer patients' contagion without reducing their treatments' effectiveness ( Table 1 , Table 3 ) ( Larrea et al, 2020 ). However, there are some doubts about the long-term results and toxicity of the proposed treatment schedule during this pandemic crisis due to the absence of long-term randomized trials in some suggested regimes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiotherapy based management during Covid-19 pandemic – A systematic review of presented consensus and guidelines

Siavashpour

Goharpey²,

Mobasheri

2021

Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology

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Treatment management of cancer patients in the radiation oncology departments during the current COVID-19 pandemic is challenging. A systematic review of published consensus/guidelines on the role of radiotherapy prioritization, suggested treatment protocols, and set up management was undertaken based on the PRISMA protocol and through PubMed/PMC, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science databases until 01/20/2021. One hundred and sixty-eight publications or regional consensus were included. Summary of recommendations contained: (1) using hypo-fractionated (Hypo-F) regimens for therapeutic/palliative indications, (2) delaying radiotherapy for several weeks or until pandemic over, (3) omitting radiotherapy by replacement of alternative therapies or active surveillance, (4) applying safer patients' setup and preparation protocols, (5) developing telemedicine/telehealth service. To conclude, it is essential to carefully weigh the risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection and the benefit of treating cancer patients during the pandemic. Trying to have a global guideline facing this or any other probable crisis is crucial for health care service.

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COVID-19: hypofractionation in the Radiation Oncology Department during the “State of Alarm”: first 100 patients in a private hospital in Spain

Cited by 8 publications

References 18 publications

Cancer and COVID-19 Experiences at African Cancer Centers: The Silver Lining

Cancer and COVID-19 Experiences at African Cancer Centers: The Silver Lining

Impact of Strategies for Mitigating Delays and Disruptions in Cancer Care Due to COVID-19: Systematic Review

Radiotherapy based management during Covid-19 pandemic – A systematic review of presented consensus and guidelines

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