Abstract 1686P
Background
We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on 1) perceived changes in cancer treatment and follow-up care; and 2) cancer patients’ wellbeing in comparison with a norm population.
Methods
Patients participating in the PROFILES (Patient Reported Outcomes Following Initial treatment and Long-term Evaluation of Survivorship) registry and a norm population were invited to complete a questionnaire mid-April 2020. Analyses included cohorts of colon, rectal, breast, melanoma, gynecological, prostate, hematological, pancreas, and esophagogastric cancer patients diagnosed between 1/2006 and 3/2020. Logistic regression analysis assessed factors associated with changes in cancer care. General Linear Models were computed to assess differences in QoL, anxiety/depression and loneliness between patients and age- and sex matched norm participants.
Results
Of 3,960 cancer patients, 213/768 (28%) in treatment and 448/2575 (17%) in follow-up reported that their treatment or appointment was cancelled or replaced by a telephone consult (TC) in the COVID-19 crisis. Older age, type of cancer, higher BMI, more comorbidities, metastasized cancer and being worried about getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 were independently associated with these changes. Twelve percent of cancer patients had their consultation replaced by a TC, and although most patients preferred a face-to-face consultation, 39% said that they would like to use a TC again. Cancer patients were a bit more worried about getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 (22%) compared to the 900 norm participants (17%). Remarkably, norm participants had worse QoL scores than measured before the crisis, and we did not see clinically relevant differences with the QoL scores of cancer patients in the current comparison. Norm participants more often reported depression (13% vs. 10%) and loneliness (11% vs. 7%) than cancer patients (p<0.05).
Conclusions
Up to one in four cancer patients reported changes in cancer care in the first weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, associated with vulnerability factors. Follow-up will show its impact on outcomes. The crisis seems to have more impact on QoL and mental wellbeing in the norm population than in cancer patients.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Dutch Research Council.
Disclosure
G. Vink: Research grant/Funding (institution), Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Servier; Research grant/Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant/Funding (institution): Merck. M. Koopman: Honoraria (institution), Research grant/Funding (institution): BMS; Nordic Pharma; Servier; Honoraria (institution): Amgen; Research grant/Funding (institution): Bayer; Merck-Serono; Roche; Sirtex; Sanofi-Aventis; NVMO. H.W.M. van Laarhoven: Research grant/Funding (institution): Bayer; Advisory/Consultancy, Research grant/Funding (institution): BMS; Nordic Pharma; Servier; Research grant/Funding (institution): Celgene; Janssen; Lilly; Philips; Roche; Advisory/Consultancy: MSD; Novartis. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.