ESMO Asia Virtual Congress 2020

Abstract 329P

Background

The first patient infected with the COVID-19 virus in Algeria was reported on February 25, 2020. Radiotherapy departments are potentially exposed like others to the COVID-19 pandemic and this is a crucial issue since cancer patients cannot interrupt their treatment. The objective of this study is to describe the different epidemiological and therapeutic aspects of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy at the time of COVD-19.

Methods

It is a prospective study of the files of 28 patients treated aimed palliative at the radiotherapy department of the cancer center Tlemcen, Algeria since the new guidelines of our department to contain the spread of the pandemic from March 19 to April 30.

Results

They are 19 men and 9 women (sex ratio 2.11) with a median age of 61 years (35-87). 13 patients (46.42%) had brain metastases, six patients (21.42%) had bone metastases, two patients (7.14%) had esophagus, two patients (7.14%) had maxillofacial metastases and five (17.87%) patients had other localizations (lung, thyroid, sarcoma, multiple myeloma and glioblastoma). 30GY protocol was delivered in six (21.42%) patients, 20GY protocol was delivered in 16 (57.14%) patients and 8GY protocol was delivered in five (17.87%) patients.11 cases (84.61%) of brain metastases were treated with 20GY, five cases (83.33%) of bone metastases were treated with 8GY. No cases were infected with the virus.

Conclusions

Palliative radiotherapy plays a critical role in preventing serious morbidity in cancer patients even in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The acute phase of the pandemic has led to major changes in radiotherapy treatment strategy, including the use of hypo-fractionated regimens for palliative radiotherapy, which are preferred to reduce patients' risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to limit treatment delays. Hypo fractionation is one option that could at least partially address these issues.