Head and Neck Cancer Treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Central Experience in Rome. Emergency Management, Infection Prevention and Control

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the surgical units, especially those operating on the airways. This study evaluates the series of patients with tumors of the head and neck treated by our unit during Phase-1 of the pandemic and the efficacy of the preventive measures implemented for protecting both the patients and staff. A screening program was administered to all the patients who had to undergo surgery. None of the patients tested and operated during Phase 1, between 10 March and 18 May 2020, were positive for COVID-19. A significant portion of the patients was suffering from tumors in advanced stages (T3 and T4). Two patients developed respiratory symptoms during their stay at the unit, so they were put in precautionary isolation and tested, but resulted negative for COVID-19. All the surgical department staff followed the Italian Ministry of Health’s prevention protocol and underwent serological testing. IgG and IgM were negative in everyone, thus confirming that nobody had been exposed to the virus. This study highlights the commitment to efficiently treating patients suffering from tumors of the head and neck region and confirms the effectiveness of the safety measures used to protect our patients and staff’s health.

Prioritization of head and neck cancer patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective cohort study

“…Our results show a reduction trend in the periods between symptom onset until start date of treatment, first visit to any doctor until start date of treatment, and the date first biopsied until date of histopathological diagnosis. Other studies have acknowledged the cancellation of non-urgent elective surgeries during the first phase of the pandemic—due to a reduction in the number of available spots in intensive care units—resulting in a reduced waitlist for more urgent procedures [ 23 ]. Similarly, the decreased wait time from first biopsy to histopathological diagnosis may have resulted from an overall decreased burden on the pathology departments during the pandemic period.…”

Diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology in comparison to open biopsy for lesions of oral cavity in Covid-19 era

“…All baseline investigations were done for surgical procedure, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for COVID-19. 9 Clinically, swellings, exophytic growths and lesions were examined and findings were documented. 3,4 Samples were collected using intraoral approach.…”

“…The researchers wore proper and recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) along with N95 masks and eye protection to prevent themselves from SARS-CoV-2. 8,9 The procedure was conducted in a well-ventilated room with minimal use of oral suctioning to avoid excessive aerosol generation. 8,9 The contact or working time was kept to the minimum, but necessary to ensure safety of the operator along with proper completion of the procedure.…”

“…8,9 The procedure was conducted in a well-ventilated room with minimal use of oral suctioning to avoid excessive aerosol generation. 8,9 The contact or working time was kept to the minimum, but necessary to ensure safety of the operator along with proper completion of the procedure. 8 Data was analysed using SPSS 20.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 Infection in Cancer 2020–2021

“…Other studies focused on the safety of both oncologic patients and medical and paramedical staff through the development of management protocol [ 32 ] and monitoring positive patients [ 33 ]. In April 2020 at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan (Italy), one of the three oncologic hubs in Lombardy, the authors implemented a prospective longitudinal study aimed at monitoring the serological response to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare personnel (HCP) in order to prevent the spread of infection among patients and medical staff, waiting for the effectiveness of the active immunization by SARS-CoV-2 vaccines [ 34 ].…”