The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of ocular cancer / Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 no diagnóstico e tratamento do câncer ocular

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the impact of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of new cases and therapeutic approaches at the Ocular Oncology division from the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by medical records review of new patients treated before the pandemic from March 2019 to September 2019 (pre-pandemic group) and during the pandemic from March 2020 to September 2020 (pandemic group). Data regarding age, sex, ethnicity, place of origin, clinical diagnosis, time since referral, and proposed therapy were analyzed. Results: We analyzed 186 new cases, 122 from the pre-pandemic group and 64 from the pandemic group, representing a decrease of 47.54% in new cases. There was no statistically significant change in sex, race, state of origin, history of cancer, age, or time with suspected cancer (p>0.05). A higher frequency of malignancies was observed in the pandemic group (68%) when compared to the pre-pandemic group (48.48%). Benign tumors were the most common diagnosis in the pre-pandemic group (41.80%), while conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma was the modal diagnosis in the pandemic group (31.25%). There was a decreasing trend (p=0.097) in the number of surgeries (-7.63%) and an increase in topical treatment (+10.68%). There was also a tendency to perform fewer surgeries in benign tumors and decreased follow-up visits. Conclusion: Our findings showed a significant decrease in the number of new cases referred to the Ocular Oncology service. Moreover, the pandemic led to a switch in the therapeutic approach with preference to non-invasive treatments that would demand operating rooms. A drastic increase of cases perhaps in advanced stages might be expected because of the decrease observed in the first six months of quarantine.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto do isolamento social devido à pandemia COVID-19 sobre o número de casos novos e abordagens terapêuticas. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo por revisões de prontuários de novos pacientes tratados antes da pandemia, de março de 2019 a setembro de 2019 (grupo pré-pandemia), e durante a pandemia, de março de 2020 a setembro de 2020 (grupo pandemia). Dados analisados incluíram idade, sexo, etnia, local de origem, diagnóstico clínico, tempo desde o encaminhamento e terapia proposta. Resultados: Um total de 186 novos casos foram analisados, sendo 122 do grupo pré-Pandemia e 64 do grupo Pandemia, representando uma redução de 47,54%. Não houve alteração estatisticamente signi ficativa quanto a sexo, raça, estado de origem, história do câncer, idade ou tempo de encaminhamento (p>0,05). Observou-se maior frequência de malignidades no grupo pandemia (68%) quando comparado com o grupo pré-pandemia (48,48%). Os tumores benignos foram os casos mais diagnosticados no grupo pré-pandemia (41,80%), enquanto no grupo pandemia o diagnóstico mais frequente foi o carcinoma de células escamosas de conjuntiva (31,25%). Houve tendência (p=0,097) de diminuição no número de cirurgias (-7,63%) e de aumento no tratamento tópico (+10,68%). Houve também uma tendência a diminuição de indicação cirúrgica em tumores benignos e diminuição dos retornos imediatos. Conclusão: Nossos achados mostram uma diminuição significativa no número de novos casos encaminhados ao setor de Oncologia Ocular. Além disso, a pandemia levou a uma mudança na abordagem terapêutica com preferência a tratamentos não invasivos, a fim de evitar o uso de salas de cirurgia. Um aumento drástico de casos, talvez em estágios avançados, pode ser esperado como resultado da diminuição observada nos primeiros 6 meses de quarentena.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of ocular cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of new cases and therapeutic approaches at the Ocular Oncology division from the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by medical records review of new patients treated before the pandemic from March 2019 to September 2019 (pre-pandemic group) and during the pandemic from March 2020 to September 2020 (pandemic group). Data regarding age, sex, ethnicity, place of origin, clinical diagnosis, time since referral, and proposed therapy were analyzed. RESULTS: We analyzed 186 new cases, 122 from the pre-pandemic group and 64 from the pandemic group, representing a decrease of 47.54% in new cases. There was no statistically significant change in sex, race, state of origin, history of cancer, age, or time with suspected cancer (p>0.05). A higher frequency of malignancies was observed in the pandemic group (68%) when compared to the pre-pandemic group (48.48%). Benign tumors were the most common diagnosis in the pre-pandemic group (41.80%), while conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma was the modal diagnosis in the pandemic group (31.25%). There was a decreasing trend (p=0.097) in the number of surgeries (-7.63%) and an increase in topical treatment (+10.68%). There was also a tendency to perform fewer surgeries in benign tumors and decreased follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed a significant decrease in the number of new cases referred to the Ocular Oncology service. Moreover, the pandemic led to a switch in the therapeutic approach with preference to non-invasive treatments that would demand operating rooms. A drastic increase of cases perhaps in advanced stages might be expected because of the decrease observed in the first six months of quarantine.

Choroidal melanoma tumor profile and treatment pattern for newly diagnosed patients at a reference public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Choroid, ciliary body, and iris melanomas are often grouped as uveal melanoma, the most common intraocular primary malignancy. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the tumor profile of newly diagnosed cases of choroidal melanoma at a reference center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and to investigate the frequency of eyes treated by enucleation that could have been treated with brachytherapy if available in the service. METHODS: Medical records of patients referred to our service with initial diagnostic hypothesis of choroidal melanoma from July 2014 to June 2020 were analysed on demographics, diagnosis confirmation, tumor measurement by ultrasonography and established treatment. Data were evaluated on clinical and demographic characteristics as age, sex, affected eye, ultrasound parameters, and treatment management of patients with clinically diagnosed choroidal melanoma. Among the patients submitted to enucleation, we investigated how many could have been selected to receive brachytherapy. RESULTS: From the 102 patients referred with the choroidal melanoma diagnosis hypothesis, 70 (68.62%) were confirmed. Mean measurements from the tumors in millimetres were: 9.19 ± 3.69 at height and 12.97 ± 3.09 by 13.30 ± 3.30 at basal. A total of 48 cases (68.57%) were enucleated, 8 (11.43%) were treated by brachytherapy in a different service, and 14 patients (20.00%) returned for enucleation at their original referral center. Out of the 48 patients enucleated, 26 (54.17%) could have been selected to brachytherapy treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a late diagnosis of choroidal melanoma cases referred to our service. Most enucleated cases could have been treated with brachytherapy if it was broadly available at the national public health insurance. Further public health political efforts should focus on early diagnosis and better quality of life post-treatment for oncologic patients.