Oncological Care During First Peruvian National Emergency COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicentric Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for healthcare systems globally.
• Cancer care delivery was significantly disrupted, raising concerns about patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncological care in Peruvian public hospitals.
• To assess cancer patient outcomes during the initial national emergency period.

Main Methods:

• A multicentric, cross-sectional descriptive study involving 1472 adult cancer patients from 18 hospitals in Peru.
• Data collected included demographics, clinical characteristics, COVID-19 status, and cancer treatment details.
• Interviews were conducted in September 2020, during the first national emergency state.

Main Results:

• Over half of patients (51.6%) experienced cancer treatment delays, and 42.5% had changes in treatment delivery.
• 10.3% of patients in remission or with controlled disease experienced progression.
• Cancer mortality (6.7%) was higher than COVID-19 related mortality among patients, with disease progression being the primary cause of death.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected oncological care and patient outcomes in Peru.
• Cancer progression and mortality were significant concerns, surpassing COVID-19 specific mortality in the studied cohort.