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BACKGROUND: The restructuring of healthcare systems to cope with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in clinical services such as cancer screening and diagnostics. METHODS: Data from the four Northern Ireland pathology laboratories were used to assess trends in pathological cancer diagnoses from 1st March to 12th September 2020 overall and by cancer site, sex and age. These trends were compared to the same timeframe from 2017 to 2019. RESULTS: Between 1st March and 12th September 2020, there was a 23% reduction in cancer diagnoses compared to the same time period in the preceding 3 years. Although some recovery occurred in August and September 2020, this revealed inequalities across certain patient groups. Pathological diagnoses of lung, prostate and gynaecological malignancies remained well below pre-pandemic levels. Males and younger/middle-aged adults, particularly the 50-59-year-old patient group, also lagged behind other population demographic groups in terms of returning to expected numbers of pathological cancer diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: There is a critical need to protect cancer diagnostic services in the ongoing pandemic to facilitate timely investigation of potential cancer cases. Targeted public health campaigns may be needed to reduce emerging inequalities in cancer diagnoses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Assuntos
COVID-19/epidemiologia , Detecção Precoce de Câncer/estatística & dados numéricos , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde , Neoplasias , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Detecção Precoce de Câncer/tendências , Feminino , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/tendências , História do Século XXI , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias/diagnóstico , Neoplasias/epidemiologia , Irlanda do Norte/epidemiologia , Pandemias , Sistema de Registros , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Tempo , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Background: Cancer has been assumed to be associated with a high-risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Protective measures have incorporated modifications in cancer treatments. There are conflicting data about the impact of COVID-19 infection and outcomes in cancer patients. We aim to describe the impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with cancer in Northern Ireland reported within the UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project (UKCCMP). Method: Prospective data collection including demographics, cancer stage and type, treatment and outcomes occurred for all Northern Irish patients enrolled in the UKCCMP. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSSv25. Results: Between March 2020 and March 2021, 110 cases were registered. Median age was 63 years (range 27 to 87). Seventy patients (63.6%) were >60 years and 59 (53.8%) were females. Co-morbidities were reported in 83 patients (72.7%). Most patients had metastatic disease (64, 58.2%). Sixty-seven patients (60.9%) received anticancer treatment in the 4 weeks prior to COVID-19 infection. Of those patients, 35 (52.2%) received chemotherapy. Thirty-nine patients (58.2%) continued treatment as planned; 24 (36.9%) stopped treatment due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The majority of patients were asymptomatic or experienced mild symptoms (67, 60.9%). Fifty-one (46.3%%) were admitted to hospital for COVID-19. Risk of severe/critical COVID-19 disease was significantly associated with age (OR 1.07 [95% CI 1.03-1.11); p=0.004), pre-existing hypertension (OR 3.29 [95% CI 1.42-7.62]; p=0.02) and thoracic primary malignancy (OR 4.41 [95% CI 1.52-12.74]; p=0.042). Twenty-nine patients (26.3%) died of whom 15 (57.7%) died of COVID-19 and 13 (44.8%) died due to cancer. Risk of death was significantly associated with age (OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01-1.09]; p=0.014), male sex (OR 3.76 [95% CI 1.51-9.34]; p=0.008) and thoracic primary malignancy (OR 5.35 [95% CI 1.88-15.25]; p=0.014). When corrected for age, gender and co-morbidities, chemotherapy within the past 4 weeks was not significantly associated with mortality (OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.20-2.11]; p=0.476). Conclusion: Age and thoracic cancer diagnosis correlated with survival. Comparison of performance during the pandemic with national benchmarks can inform how regional services should be adapted in preparation for future healthcare crises.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Neoplasias , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Recém-Nascido , COVID-19/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Irlanda do Norte/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco , Neoplasias/epidemiologia , Neoplasias/patologiaRESUMO
Background and Aims: The observed increase in the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is being driven by sporadic cases, but the molecular characteristics of these tumors are not fully understood. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of microsatellite instability (MSI) and selected mutations in sporadic EOCRC, and their association with survival. Methods: Firstly, we compared the prevalence of molecular characteristics and survival within a population-based cohort study of 652 stage II and III colon cancer patients in Northern Ireland, comparing sporadic early-onset (<50 years, n = 35) with older (60-69 years, n = 179) patients. Secondly, a systematic review for studies reporting the prevalence of MSI, mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), or BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, PIK3CA, and TP53 mutations in sporadic EOCRC was conducted. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled estimates of the prevalence of molecular features in sporadic EOCRC. Results: Firstly, within the cohort study, EOCRC patients did not have a significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer-specific death (adjusted hazard ratio 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-2.39) compared with 60- to 69-year-olds. Second, 32 studies were included in the systematic review. The pooled analysis estimated a prevalence of 10% (95% CI 7%-14%) for MSI high/dMMR in sporadic EOCRC. BRAF and KRAS mutations had a prevalence of 1% (95% CI 0%-3%) and 32% (95% CI 23%-40%), respectively. Conclusion: The molecular characteristics of sporadic EOCRC differ from those of cancers in older adults, particularly regarding reduced prevalence of BRAF mutations. Ten percent of sporadic EOCRC display MSI high/dMMR. Further studies are needed to address survival in sporadic EOCRC cases and whether molecular profiles influence EOCRC outcomes in this patient group.
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BACKGROUND: To systematically appraise and synthesize available epidemiologic evidence on the associations of environmental and genetic factors with the risk of sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) and early-onset advanced colorectal adenoma (EOCRA). METHODS: Multiple databases were comprehensively searched to identify eligible observational studies. Genotype data from UK Biobank were incorporated to examine their associations with EOCRC in a nested case-control design. Meta-analyses of environmental risk factors were performed, and the strength of evidence was graded based on predefined criteria. Meta-analyses of genetic associations were conducted using the allelic, recessive, and dominant models, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 61 studies were included, reporting 120 environmental factors and 62 genetic variants. We found 12 risk factors (current overweight, overweight in adolescence, high waist circumference, smoking, alcohol, sugary beverages intake, sedentary behavior, red meat intake, family history of colorectal cancer, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome) and three protective factors (vitamin D, folate, and calcium intake) for EOCRC or EOCRA. No significant associations between the examined genetic variants and EOCRC risk were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Recent data indicate that the changing patterns of traditional colorectal cancer risk factors may explain the rising incidence of EOCRC. However, research on novel risk factors for EOCRC is limited; therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility of EOCRC having different risk factors than late-onset colorectal cancer (LOCRC). IMPACT: The potential for the identified risk factors to enhance the identification of at-risk groups for personalized EOCRC screening and prevention and for the prediction of EOCRC risk should be comprehensively addressed by future studies.
Assuntos
Adenoma , Neoplasias Colorretais , Adolescente , Humanos , Adenoma/etiologia , Adenoma/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/etiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Sobrepeso , Fatores de Risco , Fumar/epidemiologia , Estudos Observacionais como AssuntoRESUMO
Rising incidence of specific types of early-age onset cancers in adults aged 18-49 years has been reported in high-income countries. In this review, we summarise the epidemiology of early-onset cancers using exemplar data from a high-income UK region, discuss supportive care needs for young patients and outline future research directions. The incidence rate of early-onset cancers increased by 20.5% from 1993 to 2019 in Northern Ireland. Differences in types of cancer were observed between sexes and across age groups of 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 years. One and five-year net survival was mostly better in 18-29-year-olds for all cancers combined compared to older age groups for both sexes, but there were variations in specific cancer types. Poorer survival was observed for patients with brain/central nervous system, connective and soft tissue or lung cancers. Patients with early-onset cancers face unique supportive care needs and require holistic care. The impact of cancer treatment on fertility and fertility preservation treatments is an important consideration. Social media can be used for patient support, information, fundraising, advocacy work and recruitment to research studies. We also outline suggested future research priorities for early-onset cancers, spanning prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care needs.