학술논문
Two months of radiation oncology in the heart of Italian 'red zone' during COVID-19 pandemic: paving a safe path over thin ice
Document Type
Report
Author
Buglione, Michela; Spiazzi, Luigi; Guerini, Andrea Emanuele; Barbera, Fernando; Pasinetti, Nadia; Pegurri, Ludovica; Triggiani, Luca; Tomasini, Davide; Greco, Diana; Costantino, Gianluca; Bragaglio, Alessandra; Bonometti, Nadia; Liccioli, Mara; Mascaro, Lorella; Adami, Manuela; Alghisi, Alessandro; Barucco, Sara; Bazzana, Davide; Bedussi, Elena; Biondi, Maria Luisa; Bon?, Marco Lorenzo; Borghetti, Paolo; Bresciani, Cristina; Brontesi, Tazio; Caraffini, Bruno; Cavallini, Adriano; Cisca, Patrizia; Ciulli, Daniela; Consoli, Mariella; Contrini, Lara; Contessa, Marica; Corrado, Flaviano; Costa, Loredana; Cristiano, Antonietta; Croitoriu, Ana; De Agostini, Antonio; De Vita, Ivana; Di Gangi, Francesca; Di Paolo, Amelia; Di Virgilio, Giuseppina; Donofrio, Alessandra; D'Oronzo, Michele; Errico, Michela; Facca, Maria Grazia; Facheris, Giorgio; Ferrari, Adele; Fiorenza, Rosalia; Fiume, Alfredo; Floriani, Stefania; Franzoni, Antonella; Franco, Giada; Frassine, Francesco; Frassine, Sara; Gandinelli, Giulia; Gandini, Francesca; Garau, Stefania; Ghidini, Manuela; Ghedi, Barbara; Giammarresi, Gabriella; Giorgi, Amelia; Gitti, Roberta; Guaineri, Annamaria; Iannello, Giuseppe; Imbrescia, Jessica; Inturri, Angela; Inselvini, Cinzia; Leali, Sabrina; La Mattina, Salvatore; Maddalo, Marta; Marini, Emanuela; Maruca, Laura; Mensi, Paola; Pastorello, Edoardo; Pedretti, Sara; Peretto, Gloria; Piazza, Biagio; Polonini, Alessia; Prandelli, Giampietro; Premi, Anna; Provezza, Claudio; Ragazzoli, Vanessa; Ranghetti, Elena; Rinaldi, Alessandra; Rodella, Carlo Alberto; Romano, Luca; Rubini, Elisabetta; Saiani, Federica; Salah, Emiliano; Santoro, Valeria; Scala, Rossella; Scalvi, Monica; Sessini, Mara; Singh, Navdeep; Taddeo, Alessandra; Terraneo, Fabrizia; Toraci, Cristian; Turla, Ottavia; Vitali, Paola; Volpi, Giulia; Zampedri, Laura; Alongi, Filippo; Magrini, Stefano Maria
Source
Radiation Oncology. August 10, 2020, Vol. 15 Issue 1
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1748-717X
Abstract
Author(s): Michela Buglione[sup.1] , Luigi Spiazzi[sup.2] , Andrea Emanuele Guerini[sup.1] , Fernando Barbera[sup.2] , Nadia Pasinetti[sup.1] , Ludovica Pegurri[sup.2] , Luca Triggiani[sup.1] , Davide Tomasini[sup.1] , Diana Greco[sup.2] , Gianluca [...]
Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an overwhelming impact on healthcare worldwide. Outstandingly, the aftermath on neoplastic patients is still largely unknown, and only isolated cases of COVID-19 during radiotherapy have been published. We will report the two-months experience of our Department, set in Lombardy "red-zone". Methods Data of 402 cancer patients undergoing active treatment from February 24 to April 24, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed; several indicators of the Department functioning were also analyzed. Results Dedicated measures allowed an overall limited reduction of the workload. Decrease of radiotherapy treatment number reached 17%, while the number of administration of systemic treatment and follow up evaluations kept constant. Conversely, new treatment planning faced substantial decline. Considering the patients, infection rate was 3.23% (13/402) and mortality 1.24% (5/402). Median age of COVID-19 patients was 69.7 years, the large majority were male and smokers (84.6%); lung cancer was the most common tumor type (61.5%), 84.6% of subjects were stage III-IV and 92.3% had comorbidities. Remarkably, 92.3% of the cases were detected before March 24. Globally, only 2.5% of ongoing treatments were suspended due to suspect or confirmed COVID-19 and 46.2% of positive patients carried on radiotherapy without interruption. Considering only the last month, infection rate among patients undergoing treatment precipitated to 0.43% (1/232) and no new contagions were reported within our staff. Conclusions Although mortality rate in COVID-19 cancer patients is elevated, our results support the feasibility and safety of continuing anticancer treatment during SARS-Cov-2 pandemic by endorsing consistent preventive measures. Keywords: COVID-19, Radiotherapy, Radiation oncology, Cancer, Coronavirus, Anticancer
Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an overwhelming impact on healthcare worldwide. Outstandingly, the aftermath on neoplastic patients is still largely unknown, and only isolated cases of COVID-19 during radiotherapy have been published. We will report the two-months experience of our Department, set in Lombardy "red-zone". Methods Data of 402 cancer patients undergoing active treatment from February 24 to April 24, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed; several indicators of the Department functioning were also analyzed. Results Dedicated measures allowed an overall limited reduction of the workload. Decrease of radiotherapy treatment number reached 17%, while the number of administration of systemic treatment and follow up evaluations kept constant. Conversely, new treatment planning faced substantial decline. Considering the patients, infection rate was 3.23% (13/402) and mortality 1.24% (5/402). Median age of COVID-19 patients was 69.7 years, the large majority were male and smokers (84.6%); lung cancer was the most common tumor type (61.5%), 84.6% of subjects were stage III-IV and 92.3% had comorbidities. Remarkably, 92.3% of the cases were detected before March 24. Globally, only 2.5% of ongoing treatments were suspended due to suspect or confirmed COVID-19 and 46.2% of positive patients carried on radiotherapy without interruption. Considering only the last month, infection rate among patients undergoing treatment precipitated to 0.43% (1/232) and no new contagions were reported within our staff. Conclusions Although mortality rate in COVID-19 cancer patients is elevated, our results support the feasibility and safety of continuing anticancer treatment during SARS-Cov-2 pandemic by endorsing consistent preventive measures. Keywords: COVID-19, Radiotherapy, Radiation oncology, Cancer, Coronavirus, Anticancer