THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON COLORECTAL AND GASTRIC CANCER DIAGNOSIS, DISEASE STAGE AND MORTALITY

Aims We aimed to investigate this change of frequency and incidence, clinical characteristics, disease stage and mortality of patients with gastric cancer (GC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in the first COVID-19 outbreak year 2020 versus the pre-pandemic year 2019

Methods Data of the patients with GC or CRC in the years 2019 and 2020 were collected. Data regarding demographic, time of diagnosis, symptoms, staging and mortality were collected

Results 216 patients were diagnosed with CRC in 2019, whereas only 162 were diagnosed in 2020, a reduction of 25%, while 36 GC diagnoses were made in 2019 and 24 in 2020, a 33% reduction. The age-adjusted incidence was calculated to be 24.28 for CRC and 5.0 for GC in 2020 compared to 29.93 and 5.32 in 2019, retrospectively. CRC patients had significantly lower rate of rectal bleeding as their presenting symptom in 2020 compared with 2019, 8.1% vs 19% (p=0.003), but higher rate of diarrhea as their presenting symptom, 4.3% vs 1% (p=0.044). No significant differences regarding other presenting symptoms, comorbidities, surgery or mortality were found between the groups diagnosed in 2019 or 2020.

Conclusions A decrease in GC and CRC diagnoses was observed during the year 2020 (COVID-19 crisis) compared with 2019; lower rate of rectal bleeding and higher rate of diarrhea as presenting symptoms were noted in 2020, but no significant difference was found regarding other presenting symptoms, disease stage, surgery or mortality.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022