Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology (Oct 2022)
Cancer care in German centers of excellence during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Volker Arndt,
- Daniela Doege,
- Stefan Fröhling,
- Peter Albers,
- Hana Algül,
- Ralf Bargou,
- Carsten Bokemeyer,
- Martin Bornhäuser,
- Christian H. Brandts,
- Peter Brossart,
- Sara Yvonne Brucker,
- Tim H. Brümmendorf,
- Hartmut Döhner,
- Norbert Gattermann,
- Michael Hallek,
- Volker Heinemann,
- Ulrich Keilholz,
- Thomas Kindler,
- Cornelia von Levetzow,
- Florian Lordick,
- Ulf Peter Neumann,
- Christoph Peters,
- Dirk Schadendorf,
- Stephan Stilgenbauer,
- Thomas Zander,
- Daniel Zips,
- Delia Braun,
- Thomas Seufferlein,
- Gerd Nettekoven,
- Michael Baumann
Affiliations
- Volker Arndt
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research (C070), Unit of Cancer Survivorship (C071), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Daniela Doege
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research (C070), Unit of Cancer Survivorship (C071), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Stefan Fröhling
- Division of Translational Medical Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT)
- Peter Albers
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center/Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
- Hana Algül
- Comprehensive Cancer Center München, Institute for Tumor Metabolism, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich
- Ralf Bargou
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital Würzburg
- Carsten Bokemeyer
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Center for Oncology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Martin Bornhäuser
- Medical Clinic I, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, TU Dresden
- Christian H. Brandts
- University Cancer Center (UCT) Frankfurt-Marburg, Frankfurt University Hospital
- Peter Brossart
- Medical Clinic III and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), University Hospital Bonn
- Sara Yvonne Brucker
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen-Stuttgart and Department of Women’s Health, University Hospital Tübingen
- Tim H. Brümmendorf
- Medical Clinic IV and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), University Hospital of RWTH Aachen
- Hartmut Döhner
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU) and Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Ulm
- Norbert Gattermann
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, Comprehensive Cancer Center/Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
- Michael Hallek
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), University Hospital Cologne
- Volker Heinemann
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III, LMU Hospital
- Ulrich Keilholz
- Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCC)
- Thomas Kindler
- University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center Mainz
- Cornelia von Levetzow
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), University Hospital Cologne
- Florian Lordick
- University Cancer Center Leipzig and Department of Medicine II, University of Leipzig Medical Center
- Ulf Peter Neumann
- Department of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen
- Christoph Peters
- Tumor Center Freiburg, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research
- Dirk Schadendorf
- West German Tumor Center (WTZ) Essen and Clinic for Dermatology, Essen University Hospital
- Stephan Stilgenbauer
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU) and Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Ulm
- Thomas Zander
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf), University Hospital Cologne
- Daniel Zips
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen-Stuttgart and Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen
- Delia Braun
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Thomas Seufferlein
- German Cancer Society
- Gerd Nettekoven
- German Cancer Aid
- Michael Baumann
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-022-04407-1
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 149,
no. 2
pp. 913 – 919
Abstract
Abstract Purpose An increasing number of international studies demonstrate serious negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timely diagnosis of cancer and on cancer treatment. Our study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the capacities of German Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) in different areas of complex oncology care during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Prospective panel survey over 23 rounds among 18 CCCs in Germany between March 2020 and June 2022. Results The COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected the oncological care system in Germany during the first 2 years. Persistent limitations of care in CCCs primarily affected follow-up (− 21%) and psycho-oncologic care (− 12%), but also tumor surgery (− 9%). Substantial limitations were also reported for all other areas of multidisciplinary oncological care. Conclusions This study documents the limitations of oncological care during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the need to develop strategies to avoid similar limitations in the future.
Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Early diagnosis of cancer
- Treatment delays
- Aftercare
- Comprehensive cancer centers
