Head and neck cancer: the new scenario in the pandemic COVID-19 period

Abstract

Objective: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a disruption of the routine clinical and surgical activities of the national health system, resulting in the accumulation of clinical cases and consequent delay in the management of the cancer patient. The prolongation of patient management processes due to the infectious risk collided with the inevitable progression of the disease from untimely interventions. Through this study, we offer our experience gained during the COVID-19 era in the management of oncological pathology through useful action plans and services for head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective study through the analysis of the Otorhinolaryngology Units oncological databases of the University of Catania (Catania, Italy) and the Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital of Forlì (Forlì, Italy), was performed. We evaluated the oncological rates identified from April to September 2020 and compared with the precedents of the previous year. Results: The surgical percentage reported for malignant oncological diseases went from 10.46% and 11.37% in 2019 to 32.7% and 34.01% in 2020 for the Hospitals of Catania and Forlì, respectively, despite the reduction of about 50% of general anesthesia for both health facilities. Conclusions: In light of the critical care issues, a reassessment of the oncological treatment paradigms in use, provided by evidence medicine and guidelines, and the development of new strategies to reshape operational protocols for head and neck cancer would be necessary.

Keywords

• head and neck cancer
• covid-19 pandemic
• oncological prevention
• elective treatment