Global Forum of Cancer Surgeons: Cancer Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Background. The purpose of this article is to summarize the opinions of the surgical oncology leaders from the Global Forum of Cancer Surgeons (GFCS) about the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cancer surgery. Methods. A panel session (virtual) was held at the annual Society of Surgical Oncology 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care to address the impact of COVID-19 on cancer surgery globally. Following the virtual meeting, a questionnaire was sent to all the leaders to gather additional opinions. The input obtained from all the leaders was collated and analyzed to understand how cancer surgeons from across the world adapted in real-time to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.Results. The surgical oncology leaders noted that the COVID-19 pandemic led to severe disruptions in surgical cancer care across all domains of clinical care, education, and research. Several new changes/protocols associated with increased costs were implemented to deliver safe care. Leaders also noted that preexisting disparities in care were exacerbated, and the pandemic had a detrimental effect on well-being and financial status. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe disruptions in surgical cancer care globally. Leaders of the GFCS opined that new strategies need to be implemented to prepare for any future catastrophic events based on the lessons learned from the current events. The GFCS will embark on developing such a roadmap to ensure that surgical cancer care is preserved in the future regardless of any catastrophic global events. D. Savant: Deceased.

Outcomes of the same‐day discharge following mastectomy before, during and after COVID‐19 pandemic

“…In our study, the COVID‐19 pandemic and the lack of availability of hospital beds 15–20 in a way “forced” all the providers to changed clinical practice and implement ERAS protocols. The outpatient mastectomy rate at our institution tripled during COVID‐19 from 17% to 51%.…”

Surgical management of primary liver cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: overcoming the dilemma with standardization

“…Delays in diagnosis and treatment can reduce overall survival 24 , 25 and this was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most healthcare resources were reallocated to treat COVID-19 patients 10 , 26 . Few studies have reported the management of patients with primary liver cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these have mainly focused on the diagnosis of primary liver cancer rather than the outcomes in these patients 2 , 3 , 7 , 12 .…”

“…The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak started in December 2019 in China and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020 1 . Since then, approximately 250 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and up to 5 million have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus 2 . The pandemic has placed a grave burden on everyday life around the world 3 , including healthcare services 4 .…”

“…Liver resection remains the gold-standard treatment for primary liver cancers, particularly in the non-metastatic stage. However, surgical treatment of primary liver cancers was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 14.3%–86% decrease in the number of surgeries performed 2 , 5 . This decrease was due to limited use of operating rooms, postponing elective surgeries to accommodate COVID-19 patients, and lack of personnel 7 , 8 .…”

2022 SSO Presidential Address: What is a Surgical Oncologist? Evolution of Surgical Oncology and the Society of Surgical Oncology in an Era of Hyperspecialization

“…Working together with our international partners, there have been several position papers highlighting the issues of cancer care internationally including a position statement to promote cancer care globally published in 2020 in Annals of Surgical Oncology , 8 and a paper on the impact of COVID-19 on cancer surgery practices worldwide has been published this year in Annals of Surgical Oncology . 9 Programs like this can help increase our visibility on the international front.…”