Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Treatment of Cancer Patients at a Hospital in Peru.

BACKGROUND: The appearance of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in Wuhan - China, in 2019 led to the declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization. Peru confirmed its first case on March 6, 2020, prompting a significant change in medical care. PURPOSE: Our objective was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer treatment in Peru. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of hospital data from the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases revealed substantial decreases in oncological treatments in 2020 compared to 2019. RESULTS: Oncological treatments involving bone marrow transplantation had a greater impact between the months of April and September, at -100% (p=0.003). However, treatments involving surgery in April (-95% [p≤0.001]), radiotherapy in May (-76% [p=0.002]) and chemotherapy in June (-71% [p≤0.001]) also showed significant impacts. Comparative analysis with international data revealed similar trends in cancer care interruptions in different countries. However, variations in the magnitude of the impact were observed, influenced by regional health policies and the severity of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the challenges cancer care providers face during public health crises, requiring adaptive strategies to ensure continued access to essential treatments. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive public health responses to mitigate the impact of future crises on cancer care systems.

[Contribution of the Peruvian Multisectorial Coalition against Cancer]. / Contribuciones de la Coalición Multisectorial Perú contra el Cáncer.

Cancer is a public health problem due to its high incidence and mortality, its high social and economic cost, and the lack of intra and intersectorial strategies resulting in failure to access information and screening tests. For this reason, it is necessary to address this problem with a comprehensive and sustainable approach. After performing a diagnosis of the human and material resources at the national level, and after having observed the attitude of healthcare decisors, the Multisector Coalition against Cancer was created with the participation of the public and nonpublic sector. A strategic plan was developed, followed by a national plan for strengthening cancer prevention and control. As a result, intersectorial work and health promotion oriented to cancer prevention through information, education and communication were strengthened. Service supply was improved and optimized through decentralization of oncological care.

[Cancer control in Peru: a comprehensive approach to a public health issue]. / Control del cáncer en el Perú: un abordaje integral para un problema de salud pública.

Cancer as a public health issue is changing and complex. It calls for a comprehensive, coherent and horizontal strategy based on previous experiences and considering the alarming increase of this condition worldwide. Therefore, it is imperative to reach and respect consensuses, to promote new technologies and study culturally sensitive strategies that adapt to the communities and involve people to actively participate. Likewise, strengthening the educational component and introducing new information and communication technologies cannot wait, while strengthening the system, from the primary health care level at the same time. Our goal should be to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality rates in the medium and long terms. This article describes some of the measures implemented for that purpose. We consider that all cancer preventive strategies should be applied in the context of transversal activities oriented to prevent other chronic diseases, with a public health view.

[Genetic counseling about cancer in Peru]. / Asesoría genética sobre cáncer en el Perú.

Cancer is a genetic disease caused by changes in the DNA sequence or expression. Based on the origin of these changes, cancer can be classified as sporadic, and hereditary or familial. Based on the cancer records in Peru, it is expected that 5 to 30% of all patients with cancer, i.e. about 2,000 to 12,000 people, have hereditary cancer, meaning that a similar number of families have a higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population. Therefore, the purpose of genetic counseling is to identify hereditary cancers running in the family in order to prevent diseases and deaths caused by this condition. It is a strategy that allows us to detect and diagnose these types of cancer very early. For this reason, the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases of Peru has been providing genetic diagnosis and counseling services for five years, and represents an important element in the fight against cancer. However, in order to have a greater impact on health, it is necessary to expand and strengthen the training process in genetics and genetic counseling to health care professionals, particularly to physicians and nurses.

Control del cáncer en el Perú: un abordaje integral para un problema de salud pública / Cancer control in Peru: a comprehensive approach to a public health issue

El cáncer como problema de salud pública es complejo y cambiante, obliga a afrontarlo mediante una estrategia integral, transversal, coherente y sostenible basada en experiencias previas y proyectadas al alarmante incremento que muestra esta condición a nivel global. Es imprescindible buscar y respetar consensos, impulsar nuevas tecnologías e investigar estrategias con sensibilidad cultural adecuadas a las comunidades y en las cuales éstas participen activamente. Se hace impostergable reforzar el componente educacional e introducir las nuevas tecnologías de información y comunicación, reforzando el sistema desde el nivel primario de atención. Nuestro objetivo debe ser la disminución de la morbimortalidad por cáncer en el mediano y largo plazo. En este artículo se describen algunas de las medidas implementadas para este fin. Consideramos que todas las estrategias de prevención del cáncer deben aplicarse en el contexto de actividades transversales orientadas a prevenir otras enfermedades crónicas, con criterio de salud pública.

Cancer as a public health issue is changing and complex. It calls for a comprehensive, coherent and horizontal strategy based on previous experiences and considering the alarming increase of this condition worldwide. Therefore, it is imperative to reach and respect consensuses, to promote new technologies and study culturally sensitive strategies that adapt to the communities and involve people to actively participate. Likewise, strengthening the educational component and introducing new information and communication technologies cannot wait, while strengthening the system, from the primary health care level at the same time. Our goal should be to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality rates in the medium and long terms. This article describes some of the measures implemented for that purpose. We consider that all cancer preventive strategies should be applied in the context of transversal activities oriented to prevent other chronic diseases, with a public health view.

Contribuciones de la Coalición Multisectorial Perú contra el Cáncer / Contribution of the Peruvian Multisectorial Coalition against Cancer

El cáncer es un problema de salud pública debido a su alta incidencia y mortalidad, su elevado costo social y económico, y por la falta de estrategias intra e intersectoriales, que se evidencia en la falta de acceso a la información y a pruebas de tamizaje. Por todo esto, es necesario enfrentarlo integral y sostenidamente en el tiempo. Luego de un diagnóstico de recursos humanos y materiales a nivel nacional, y de haber observado la actitud de los decisores en salud, se decidió la creación de la Coalición Multisectorial Perú contra el Cáncer con la participación del sector público y no público. Se desarrolló un plan estratégico, y luego un plan nacional para el fortalecimiento de la prevención y control del cáncer. Como resultado, se ha fortalecido el trabajo intersectorial; la promoción de la salud orientada a la prevención del cáncer mediante información, educación y comunicación, se mejoró y acercó la oferta de servicios mediante la desconcentración y descentralización de la atención oncológica.

Cancer is a public health problem due to its high incidence and mortality, its high social and economic cost, and the lack of intra and intersectorial strategies resulting in failure to access information and screening tests. For this reason, it is necessary to address this problem with a comprehensive and sustainable approach. After performing a diagnosis of the human and material resources at the national level, and after having observed the attitude of healthcare decisors, the Multisector Coalition against Cancer was created with the participation of the public and nonpublic sector. A strategic plan was developed, followed by a national plan for strengthening cancer prevention and control. As a result, intersectorial work and health promotion oriented to cancer prevention through information, education and communication were strengthened. Service supply was improved and optimized through decentralization of oncological care.

Asesoría genética sobre cáncer en el Perú / Genetic counseling about cancer in Peru

El cáncer es una enfermedad genética producto de alteraciones en la secuencia o expresión del ADN. Estas alteraciones, según su origen, nos permiten clasificar el cáncer como esporádico y hereditario o familiar. En base a los registros de cáncer, en el Perú se espera que del 5 al 30% de todos los pacientes con cáncer, que equivale aproximadamente entre 2000 a 12 000 personas, presentarían cáncer del tipo familiar o hereditario, lo que representaría un similar número de familias con un riesgo mayor de desarrollar cáncer que el de la población en general. El propósito de la asesoría genética es identificar cánceres hereditarios en una familia con el fin de prevenir la enfermedad y la muerte por este mal. Es una estrategia que nos puede permitir detectar y diagnosticar con antelación estos cánceres. Es por este motivo que en el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas del Perú se realizan consultas de diagnóstico y asesoría genética desde hace cinco años, constituyéndose en un elemento importante para la lucha contra el cáncer, sin embargo, para lograr un mayor impacto en la salud requiere ampliar y fortalecer el proceso de capacitación en genética y asesoría genética a profesionales de la salud, sobre todo a médicos y enfermeras.

Cancer is a genetic disease caused by changes in the DNA sequence or expression. Based on the origin of these changes, cancer can be classified as sporadic, and hereditary or familial. Based on the cancer records in Peru, it is expected that 5 to 30% of all patients with cancer, i.e. about 2,000 to 12,000 people, have hereditary cancer, meaning that a similar number of families have a higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population. Therefore, the purpose of genetic counseling is to identify hereditary cancers running in the family in order to prevent diseases and deaths caused by this condition. It is a strategy that allows us to detect and diagnose these types of cancer very early. For this reason, the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases of Peru has been providing genetic diagnosis and counseling services for five years, and represents an important element in the fight against cancer. However, in order to have a greater impact on health, it is necessary to expand and strengthen the training process in genetics and genetic counseling to health care professionals, particularly to physicians and nurses.