Article Text
Abstract
Introduction/Background*The COVID pandemic has had the collateral effect of an alteration in the diagnosis and care of other diseases. In our center, a 30% decrease in the number of cancer diagnoses has been estimated. The objective of this study was to account for this variation in the area of gynecological oncology.
Methodology The diagnoses of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, of any histology, diagnosed in our center between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2021 were reviewed. Data were compared between the pre-COVID period (1/04/19-31/03/20) and COVID (01/04/20-31/03/21).
Result(s)*The number of endometrial cancer diagnoses decreased from 33 to 25 cases (25% decrease). Grouped by stages, initial diagnoses (FIGO I/II) went from 72% to 64%, with an increase in advanced stages (FIGO III/IV) (27% to 36%).
Regarding ovarian cancer, the number of diagnoses was similar (24 pre-COVID vs 26 COVID), although with a slight increase in advanced stages (58% pre-COVID vs 65%). Within the advanced ones, we observed a significant increase in their severity, being in COVID time all stages III (14 cases), while in COVID time 11.2% were IVA stages and 41.2% IVB.
Conclusion*In neoplasms where the initial symptoms are mild, such as endometrial cancer, the number of cases has been reduced, which may be due to the lack of consultation by patients. Regarding ovarian cancer, we have not seen a decrease in cases, although we have seen an increase in the stage. It is expected that the consequences of the COVID pandemic will continue to be felt in the future with an increase in the advanced stages of these neoplasms.