The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship
(1) Background: It was suspected that the COVID-19 pandemic would negatively affect health care, including cancer treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of radiotherapy procedures and patients treated with radical and palliative radiotherapy i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Current Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/1/77 |
| _version_ | 1797443953771937792 |
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| author | Marcin Kurowicki Karolina Osowiecka Barbara Szostakiewicz Monika Rucińska Sergiusz Nawrocki |
| author_facet | Marcin Kurowicki Karolina Osowiecka Barbara Szostakiewicz Monika Rucińska Sergiusz Nawrocki |
| author_sort | Marcin Kurowicki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: It was suspected that the COVID-19 pandemic would negatively affect health care, including cancer treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of radiotherapy procedures and patients treated with radical and palliative radiotherapy in Poland. (2) Methods: The study was carried out in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship. The number of procedures and treated patients one year before and in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. (3) Results: In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of radiotherapy procedures and cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship in Poland was stable compared to the period before the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has not affected the ratio of palliative to radical procedures. The percentage of ambulatory and hostel procedures significantly increased with the reduction of inpatient care in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Conclusion: No significant decrease in patients treated with radiotherapy during the first year of the pandemic in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship in Poland could indicate the rapid adaptation of radiotherapy centers to the pandemic situation. Future studies should be carried out to monitor the situation because the adverse effects of the pandemic may be delayed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:04:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39cb5c1335fa4a1190ae3e9413276a28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1198-0052 1718-7729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:04:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-39cb5c1335fa4a1190ae3e9413276a282023-11-30T21:49:57ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292023-01-013011010101910.3390/curroncol30010077The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria VoivodeshipMarcin Kurowicki0Karolina Osowiecka1Barbara Szostakiewicz2Monika Rucińska3Sergiusz Nawrocki4NU-MED Radiotherapy Center in Elblag, Królewiecka 146, 82-300 Elblag, PolandDepartment of Psychology and Sociology of Health and Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, PolandNU-MED Radiotherapy Center in Elblag, Królewiecka 146, 82-300 Elblag, PolandDepartment of Oncology, Collegium Medicum University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Wojska Polskiego 37, 10-228 Olsztyn, PolandDepartment of Oncology, Collegium Medicum University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Wojska Polskiego 37, 10-228 Olsztyn, Poland(1) Background: It was suspected that the COVID-19 pandemic would negatively affect health care, including cancer treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of radiotherapy procedures and patients treated with radical and palliative radiotherapy in Poland. (2) Methods: The study was carried out in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship. The number of procedures and treated patients one year before and in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. (3) Results: In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of radiotherapy procedures and cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship in Poland was stable compared to the period before the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has not affected the ratio of palliative to radical procedures. The percentage of ambulatory and hostel procedures significantly increased with the reduction of inpatient care in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Conclusion: No significant decrease in patients treated with radiotherapy during the first year of the pandemic in Warmia and Masuria voivodeship in Poland could indicate the rapid adaptation of radiotherapy centers to the pandemic situation. Future studies should be carried out to monitor the situation because the adverse effects of the pandemic may be delayed.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/1/77cancerradiotherapyCOVID-19healthcarepandemic |
| spellingShingle | Marcin Kurowicki Karolina Osowiecka Barbara Szostakiewicz Monika Rucińska Sergiusz Nawrocki The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship Current Oncology cancer radiotherapy COVID-19 healthcare pandemic |
| title | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship |
| title_full | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship |
| title_short | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cancer Patients and Radiotherapy Procedures in the Warmia and Masuria Voivodeship |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on the number of cancer patients and radiotherapy procedures in the warmia and masuria voivodeship |
| topic | cancer radiotherapy COVID-19 healthcare pandemic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/1/77 |
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