Impact of COVID-19 in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Descriptive Analysis

Damian Mojsak (), Michał Dębczyński, Beata Kuklińska, Łukasz Minarowski, Agnieszka Kasiukiewicz, Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska, Piotr Czupryna and Robert Marek Mróz
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Damian Mojsak: 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Białystok,14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Michał Dębczyński: 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Białystok,14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Beata Kuklińska: 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Białystok,14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Łukasz Minarowski: 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Białystok,14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Agnieszka Kasiukiewicz: Department of Geriatrics, Medical University of Białystok, 27 Fabryczna Street, 15-471 Bialystok, Poland
Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska: Department of Infectious Diseases and Neurology, Medical University of Białystok, 14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Piotr Czupryna: Department of Infectious Diseases and Neurology, Medical University of Białystok, 14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Robert Marek Mróz: 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Białystok,14 Żurawia Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to health systems worldwide. Limiting healthcare availability may delay early diagnosis and worsen the treatment effects of various diseases, including oncological diseases. We analyzed patients presenting to the 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Białystok, Poland, with suspicion of lung cancer 12 months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-COVID-19) and, similarly, 12 months after the outbreak of the pandemic (mid-COVID). In total, 320 patients were analyzed—132 prior to and 188 after the COVID-19 outbreak. During the COVID-19 period, there was a lower percentage of patients presenting with ECOG performance status 0-1, with a noticeably increased percentage of patients with ECOG PS ≥2. The disease’s clinical stage (CS) was higher on admission during COVID-19. We observed more use of immunotherapy and more deaths before the start of treatment during the COVID-19 period. These results provide insight into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer patients and underscore the importance of conducting further studies to assess the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population.

Keywords: lung cancer; COVID-19; cancer care; epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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