TY - JOUR
AU - Romics, Laszlo
AU - Doughty, Julie
AU - Stallard, Sheila
AU - Mansell, James
AU - Blackhall, Vivienne I
AU - Lannigan, Alison
AU - Elgammal, Suzanne
AU - Reid, Judith
AU - McGuigan, Marie-Claire
AU - Savioli, Francesca
AU - Tovey, Sian
AU - Murphy, Dermott
AU - Reid, Iona
AU - Malyon, Andy
AU - McIlhenny, Jennifer
AU - Wilson, Christopher
PY - 2020
DA - November
TI - A prospective cohort study of the safety of breast cancer surgery during COVID-19 pandemic in the West of Scotland
JO - The Breast
EP - 6
VL - 55
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2020.11.015
AB - Introduction: In order to minimise the risk of breast cancer patients for COVID-19 infection related morbidity and mortality prioritisation of care has utmost importance since the onset of the pandemic. However, COVID-19 related risk in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery has not been studied yet. We evaluated the safety of breast cancer surgery during COVID-19 pandemic in the West of Scotland region. Methods: A prospective cohort study of patients having breast cancer surgery was carried out in a geographical region during the first eight weeks of the hospital lockdown and outcomes were compared to the regional cancer registry data of pre-COVID-19 patients of the same units (n = 1415). Results: 188 operations were carried out in 179 patients. Tumour size was significantly larger in patients undergoing surgery during hospital lockdown than before (cT3-4: 16.8% vs. 7.4%; p &lt; 0.001; pT2 – pT4: 45.5% vs. 35.6%; p = 0.002). ER negative and HER-2 positive rate was significantly higher during lockdown (ER negative: 41.3% vs. 17%, p &lt; 0.001; HER-2 positive: 23.4% vs. 14.8%; p = 0.004). While breast conservation rate was lower during lockdown (58.6% vs. 65%; p &lt; 0.001), level II oncoplastic conservation was significantly higher in order to reduce mastectomy rate (22.8% vs. 5.6%; p &lt; 0.001). No immediate reconstruction was offered during lockdown. 51.2% had co-morbidity, and 7.8% developed postoperative complications in lockdown. There was no peri-operative COVID-19 infection related morbidity or mortality. Conclusion: breast cancer can be safely provided during COVID-19 pandemic in selected patients.
PB - Elsevier
UR - https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/352759/
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Hospital care
ER