Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Introduction The aim of this study was to prove if the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic resulted in a delay in diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PC). Methods A monocentric, retrospective analysis was conducted at a university cancer center. Included were all patients with untreated PC diagnosed between January 2019 and December 2021. The observation covered 22 months of the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic and 14 months preceding it. Results 969 men prior (T0) and 1343 during pandemic (T1) where included. Mean age was 68.0 (SD 8.2). Median initial PSA was 8.1 ng/ml (T0) and 7.9 ng/ml (T1, p= 0.288). Time from biopsy to tumor board (T0: 1.3 months vs. T1: 0.9 months, p=0.001), to staging (T0: 1,1 months vs. T1: 0.75 months, p=0.707) and to therapy (T0: 3.0 months vs. T1: 2.0 months, p<0.001) were shortened during pandemic. Classified by d’Amico, a significant shift towards higher risk groups was seen (p=0.024). Local staging showed an insignificant increase in locally advanced PCs. Metastatic diseases decreased from 10.3 % to 8.9% (p=0.433). Pathological staging showed pT3+ in 44.4% vs. 44.7% (p=0.565) and pN+ in 9.9 % vs 9.6% (p=0.899). Conclusion Regarding the diagnosis and treatment of PC, we could not demonstrate any delays due to the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic.