Conceptos Básicos
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of urologic cancer patients, leading to delays, upstaging, and inferior results.
Resumen
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urologic cancer care has been profound, affecting the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients. Here is a detailed breakdown of the key insights from the content:
Global Impact of COVID-19: WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic over two years ago, leading to significant disruptions in healthcare services for non-COVID patients, including those with malignant diseases.
Anxiety Among Cancer Patients: Cancer patients exhibited higher anxiety levels related to COVID-19 than their underlying malignant disease, leading to avoidance of primary care and delays in seeking medical attention.
Prostate Cancer Findings: Studies have shown that patients diagnosed and treated during the pandemic had higher PSA levels, advanced cancer stages, and delays in biopsy and treatment, potentially impacting long-term survival outcomes.
Impact on PC Care Worldwide: Various countries experienced a decrease in PC diagnoses, delays in procedures, and a shift towards more advanced disease stages during the pandemic, highlighting the global impact on urologic cancer care.
Challenges and Future Considerations: The need to assess the full extent of the pandemic's impact on urologic cancer care, develop strategies for timely diagnosis and treatment, and learn from the current situation to prepare for future healthcare crises.
Estadísticas
More than 6 million fatal cases of COVID-19 reported globally.
Patients diagnosed and treated during the first year of the pandemic had higher PSA levels and advanced cancer stages.
Significant delays in urology consultations and biopsy waiting times observed in 2020 compared to 2019.
Citas
"Men diagnosed and treated during the first COVID-19 year had significantly higher PSA levels and more advanced cancer stages." - García Barreras et al.
"Lockdown policies led to delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment, potentially impacting long-term outcomes." - Research Study