Cancer patients bear brunt of COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has evidently affected the care and well-being of cancer patients, particularly those with advanced stages, reveals a recent study.

“The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly disrupted cancer care. The impact of these disruptions on patient experiences remain relatively understudied,” according to the authors.

To address this gap in knowledge, a survey was conducted among adults with cancer across the US from 1 April 2020 to 26 August 2020 using virtual snowball sampling strategy in collaboration with professional organizations, cancer care providers, and patient advocacy groups. The authors then analysed data using descriptive statistics, χ², and t tests.

A total of 328 cancer patients, representing 38 states, participated in the study. Most of them were non-Hispanic White (n=183; 58.7 percent) and female (n=177; 56.7 percent), and the median age was 57 years. Additionally, 91 percent spoke English at home, 70.1 percent had health insurance, and 67 percent had access to home internet.

The most common diagnosis was breast cancer (n=67; 21.5 percent). Nearly one in four patients had stage 4 disease (n=80; 25.6 percent), and almost half of the respondents (n=145; 46 percent) had a change in their care due to COVID-19.

Of the cancer patients, 187 (60 percent) reported feeling very or extremely concerned that the pandemic would affect their care and well-being (p<0.001). In addition, more than half of the respondents (n=162; 52 percent) reported a COVID-19 impact on one or more aspects of social determinants of health, with disproportionate impact among those with advanced disease stages.

“Future work should consider tailored interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer,” the authors said.