Clinicopathologic Profile and Treatment Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: A Multicenter Study From India.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) in young adults is a rising concern in developing countries such as India. This study investigates clinicopathologic profiles, treatment patterns, and outcomes of CRC in young adults, focusing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) CRC in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). METHODS: A retrospective registry study from January 2018 to December 2020 involved 126 young adults (age 40 years and younger) with CRC. Patient demographics, clinical features, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed after obtaining institutional ethics committees' approval. RESULTS: Among 126 AYA patients, 62.70% had colon cancer and 37.30% had rectal cancer. Most patients (67%) were age 30-39 years, with no significant gender predisposition. Females had higher metastatic burden. Abdominal pain with obstruction features was common. Adenocarcinoma (65%) with signet ring differentiation (26%) suggested aggressive behavior. Limited access to molecular testing hindered mutation identification. Capecitabine-based chemotherapy was favored because of logistical constraints. Adjuvant therapy showed comparable recurrence-free survival in young adults and older patients. For localized colon cancer, the 2-year median progression-free survival was 74%, and for localized rectal cancer, it was 18 months. Palliative therapy resulted in a median overall survival of 33 months (95% CI, 18 to 47). Limited access to targeted agents affected treatment options, with only 27.5% of patients with metastatic disease receiving them. Chemotherapy was generally well tolerated, with hematologic side effect being most common. CONCLUSION: This collaborative study in an LMIC offers crucial insights into CRC in AYA patients in India. Differences in disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and limited access to targeted agents highlight the need for further research and resource allocation to improve outcomes in this population.

Role of CYFRA 21-1 and CEA as prognostic and predictive markers in locally advanced and metastatic gastric carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Tumor-associated serum markers have demonstrated predictive and prognostic value in patients being treated for malignancies. However, the clinical importance of tumor markers in gastric cancers (GC) is poorly standardized. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to assess the clinical utility of cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as serum tumor markers in advanced GC. METHODS: In this prospective study, CYFRA 21-1 and CEA levels were measured at baseline and after three cycles of chemotherapy in patients with advanced GC. The association of tumor marker levels with prognosis and decline of tumor markers with radiological overall response rates (ORR) and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: In the 105 patients, the proportion of patients with elevated baseline CYFRA 21-1 and CEA levels was 55% (N = 58) and 37% (N = 39) based on predefined cutoffs. Response assessment was done for 61 patients who received a minimum of three cycles of chemotherapy. A 15% and 13% reduction of serum levels from baseline for CYFRA 21-1 and CEA were selected for defining "CYFRA 21-1 response" and "CEA-response," respectively. Both responses were significant predictors of radiological ORR. The median overall survival (OS) was 9.6 months in the entire cohort and 13 months for patients who received at least three cycles of chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, baseline CEA levels and ECOG status were significant predictors of OS. In a subset analysis of patients receiving palliative chemotherapy, any of the tumor marker responses predicted improved 1-year OS. CONCLUSION: In advanced GC, CYFRA 21-1 and CEA decline from baseline appeared to be reliable surrogate markers of chemotherapy efficacy and improved survival.

Aggressive Histology and Extensive Metastasis Characteristic of Very Young Gastric Cancer (Less Than 30 Years): A Retrospective Clinical Audit.

Narendran KrishnamoorthiObjectives Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive disease and remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Incidence of gastric cancer in young (GCY) varies between 2 and 8%. GCY faces unique challenges such as biological variation, diagnosis at an advanced stage, issues related to fertility preservation, and psychosocial considerations. This study aimed to find the differences in clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of GCY compared to gastric cancer in older adults (GCO). Material and Methods This is a retrospective study from a tertiary care center. We screened records from 2015 to 2020, identified 33 records of GCY (less than 30 years), and compared the data with GCO (greater than 30 years) during 2015 and 2018. Results We identified 33 patients with GCY with a median age of 28 years (21-30) and a female to male ratio of 2:1. In GCY, 60% of patients presented with metastatic disease. Diffuse-type histology was more common in the GCY than in GCO (66.7% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.001). In patients with metastasis, multiple metastases were common in GCY compared to GCO (45% vs. 15%, p = 0.003). The median duration of follow-up for all patients was 27 (24-29) months. In GCY, the median OS was not reached for patients treated with curative intent, and it was 13 months for those treated with palliative intent. Conclusion The incidence of GCY in our study was like the western literature. Female patients with aggressive diffuse histology and multiple extensive metastases were characteristic of GCY. The survival outcomes were identical to GCO.

Clinicopathological features and survival outcomes for gastric adenocarcinoma: Real-world single-center data.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric cancer is the fifth most-common cancer and fourth common cause for cancer-related deaths globally. Surgery preceded or followed by chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is considered an optimal treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer. This study is a real-world data from a tertiary referral institute in southern India, in its experience with treating gastric adenocarcinoma over a period of four years with a minimum of two-year follow-up. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of data of patients with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma enrolled in the Department of Medical Oncology from 2015 to 2018. The demographic details, presentation, staging, treatment received and outcomes of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were collected and analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Total 488 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were included for the study. The stage-wise distribution of patients revealed early and locally advanced (45%) and metastatic (55%). The peritoneum and liver were the common sites of metastasis. The treatment distribution of these patients included perioperative chemotherapy followed by surgery (25 [5%]), surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (65 [13%]), surgery alone (16 [3%]), perioperative chemotherapy alone (23 [4%]), palliative chemotherapy (274 [56%]) and supportive care (85 [17%]). The median overall survival for curative, palliative and supportive treatment was 23 (18-28), nine (7.6-10.4) and four (2.7-5.3) months, respectively. The two-year overall survival in the intention to treat population in the primary surgery (n = 81) and perioperative chemotherapy groups (n = 66) was 67.4% vs. 29.9% (p < 0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the advanced nature of the presentation of gastric cancer patients and the poor rate of treatment completion. The median survival rates in curative patients remain to be dismally poor. The treatment sequence in curable gastric cancer of surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy vs. perioperative chemotherapy followed by surgery needs to be explored in our country.

Clinical management of stage III non-small cell lung cancer in India: An expert consensus statement.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is considered the most common type of lung cancer (>80% of all lung cancers); patients are often diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease. The management of NSCLC is considered challenging owing to variations in size, an extension of the tumors, involvement patterns, and classification. Although adequate literature and guidelines are available on the management of NSCLC in several countries, an Indian perspective on stage III NSCLC management is lacking. We used the modified Delphi approach to form consensus statements. A thorough literature search was done. The authors then convened and deliberated over published literature, available guidelines, and clinical judgment. Recommendation statements were formed for different clinical scenarios. These statements were sent as a form of survey to other oncologists, and their responses were recorded and mentioned. Evidence-based statements were formed for diagnosing and managing stage III NSCLC. These recommendation statements cover various aspects-surgical, radiation, and medical treatment in various clinical scenarios including adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and consolidation therapies.

Predictive models for fentanyl dose requirement and postoperative pain using clinical and genetic factors in patients undergoing major breast surgery.

ABSTRACT: Fentanyl exhibits interindividual variability in its dose requirement due to various nongenetic and genetic factors such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study aims to develop and cross-validate robust predictive models for postoperative fentanyl analgesic requirement and other related outcomes in patients undergoing major breast surgery. Data regarding genotypes of 10 candidate SNPs, cold pain test (CPT) scores, pupillary response to fentanyl (PRF), and other common clinical characteristics were recorded from 257 patients undergoing major breast surgery. Predictive models for 24-hour fentanyl requirement, 24-hour pain scores, and time for first analgesic (TFA) in the postoperative period were developed using 4 different algorithms: generalised linear regression model, linear support vector machine learning (SVM-Linear), random forest (RF), and Bayesian regularised neural network. The variant genotype of OPRM1 (rs1799971) and higher CPT scores were associated with higher 24-hour postoperative fentanyl consumption, whereas higher PRF and history of hypertension were associated with lower fentanyl requirement. The variant allele of COMT (rs4680) and higher CPT scores were associated with 24-hour postoperative pain scores. The variant genotype of CTSG (rs2070697), higher intraoperative fentanyl use, and higher CPT scores were associated with significantly lower TFA. The predictive models for 24-hour postoperative fentanyl requirement, pain scores, and TFA had R-squared values of 0.313 (SVM-Linear), 0.434 (SVM-Linear), and 0.532 (RF), respectively. We have developed and cross-validated predictive models for 24-hour postoperative fentanyl requirement, 24-hour postoperative pain scores, and TFA with satisfactory performance characteristics and incorporated them in a novel web application.

Impact of Genetic Variants on Postoperative Pain and Fentanyl Dose Requirement in Patients Undergoing Major Breast Surgery: A Candidate Gene Association Study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative analgesia is crucial for the early and effective recovery of patients undergoing surgery. Although postoperative multimodal analgesia is widely practiced, opioids such as fentanyl are still one of the best analgesics. The analgesic response of fentanyl varies widely among individuals, probably due to genetic and nongenetic factors. Among genetic factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may influence its analgesic response by altering the structure or function of genes involved in nociceptive, fentanyl pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic pathways. Thus, it is necessary to comprehensively ascertain if the SNPs present in the aforementioned pathways are associated with interindividual differences in fentanyl requirement. In this study, we evaluated the association between 10 candidate SNPs in 9 genes and 24-hour postoperative fentanyl dose (primary outcome) and also with postoperative pain scores and time for first analgesia (secondary outcomes). METHODS: A total of 257 South Indian women, aged 18-70 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III, undergoing major breast surgery under general anesthesia, were included in the study. Patients were genotyped for candidate SNPs using real-time polymerase chain reaction. All patients received a standardized intravenous fentanyl infusion through a patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) pump, and the 24-hour postoperative fentanyl dose requirement was measured using PCA. RESULTS: The median 24-hour postoperative fentanyl requirement was higher in rs1799971 carriers (G/G versus A/A + A/G-620 µg [500-700] vs 460 µg [400-580]) with a geometric mean (GM) ratio of 1.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.071-1.327). The median 24-hour pain scores were higher in rs4680 carriers (A/G + A/A versus G/G-34 [30-38] vs 31 [30-38]) with a GM ratio of 1.059 (95% CI, 1.018-1.101) and were lower in rs1045642 carriers (A/A + A/G versus G/G-34 [30-38] vs 30 [30-34]) with a GM ratio of 0.936 (95% CI, 0.889-0.987). The median time for first analgesic was lower in rs734784 carriers [C/C versus T/T + C/T-240 minutes (180-270) vs 240 minutes (210-270)] with a GM ratio of 0.902 (95% CI, 0.837-0.972). Five of 9 clinical factors, namely, history of diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, anesthesia duration, and intraoperative fentanyl requirement were associated with different outcomes individually ( P < .05) and were used to adjust the respective associations. CONCLUSIONS: The SNP opioid receptor mu-1 ( OPRM1 ) (rs1799971) was associated with higher postoperative fentanyl requirement in South Indian patients undergoing major breast surgery. Twenty-four hour postoperative pain scores were higher in catechol-O-methyl transferase ( COMT ) (rs4680) carriers and lower in ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1 ( ABCB1 ) (rs1045642) carriers, whereas time for first analgesic was lower in potassium channel subunit 1 ( KCNS1 ) (rs734784) carriers. However, these exploratory findings must be confirmed in a larger study.

Primary Ewings Sarcoma of the Inferior Vena Cava.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcomas of vascular origin are rare. A case of Ewings sarcoma of Inferior Vena Cava [IVC] is reported here. REPORT: A 36-year-old lady presented with a 6-month history of bilateral pitting lower limb swelling and 1-month history of vaginal bleeding. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen revealed a soft tissue lesion extending from the cavoatrial junction to the junction of the middle hepatic vein with IVC. She underwent IVC resection (suprahepatic) and left lateral hepatectomy with dacron graft reconstruction. The pathology was suggestive of Ewings sarcoma and she received adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Preoperative tissue diagnosis can be considered in vascular tumors to sequence the various treatment modalities for improved outcomes.

Comparison of Efficacy of Aspirin Plus EOX vs. EOX Alone in Patients with Locally Advanced and Metastatic Gastric Cancer: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: The role of aspirin in cancer prevention has been well defined; the last decade revealed its therapeutic role with improved efficacy when aspirin was added to capecitabine in heavily pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer. Aspirin affects tumour growth through the PI3K pathway, which regulates apoptosis and autophagy. The objective was to compare the efficacy of aspirin plus epirubicin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine (EOX) chemotherapy versus EOX alone in locally advanced and metastatic gastric cancer. METHODS: All patients with advanced gastric cancer reporting to the Department of Medical oncology between March 2017 and May 2019 were screened for study eligibility. They were randomly assigned to standard EOX with or without aspirin at a daily dose of 150 mg. Tumour measurements were assessed at baseline and after 3-4 cycles by an independent blinded radiologist according to RECIST criteria 1.1. Toxicity profiles were recorded as per CTCAE v 4.03. Per-protocol group was identified as 70 patients. The primary endpoint was overall response rates in the per-protocol group (defined as patients who received a minimum of 3 cycles and had an evaluable response after randomization). The secondary endpoints included toxicity analysis, progression-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients who fulfilled the study inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized to group 1 EOX (50) or group 2 EOX plus aspirin (45). Seventy patients were included for the per-protocol analysis. The overall response rate in group 1 was 27% compared to group 2, which was 42%, P = 0.176. The median duration of follow was 29 (18.56-39.45) months. The median overall survival (n = 95) of group 1 versus group 2 was 11 (8.58-13.42) months and 10 (6.86-13.14) months, respectively, P = 0.90. There was no statistical significance in the overall survival per-protocol analysis (n = 70) between group one 12 (8.75-15.25) months versus group two 12 (6.21-17.79) months, P = 0.50. CONCLUSIONS: There was no improvement in the response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival on adding aspirin to EOX chemotherapy in locally advanced and metastatic gastric cancer in an unselected population. A further role of PI3K mutation as a biomarker needs to be evaluated in this setting.

Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in clean-contaminated head and neck squamous cell cancer surgeries: Is less better?

Introduction: Judicious use of antibiotics and stringent adherence to practice guidelines is the need of the hour as antibiotic resistance is a rampant problem. Despite several reports in the literature describing the optimal duration of antibiotics, there is no consensus. A "one for all" protocol may be impractical and hence the guidelines need to be tweaked to take into consideration local factors. We designed a protocol for prophylactic antibiotics in clean-contaminated head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) surgeries to prevent unchecked abuse and evaluated its feasibility. Materials and Methods: Two hundred consecutive patients who underwent a clean-contaminated surgery for HNSCC between January 2017 and December 2019 were included. Single-dose intravenous amoxicillin-clavulanate at induction followed by three doses of amoxicillin-clavulanate, metronidazole, and amikacin in the postoperative period was used. Adherence to the antibiotic protocol was assessed from a prospectively maintained database. Results: The mean age was 55.99 ± 11.71 years. The protocol was effective in 70% of the patients with an acceptable surgical site infection (SSI) rate of 12%. Flap-related complications (9.5%) and oro-cutaneous fistula (5%) were common causes of prolonged antibiotics. On univariate analysis, blood transfusion (P = .014), clinical stage at presentation (P = .028), patients undergoing reconstruction (P = .001), longer operative time (P = .009), and pathological T stage (P = 0.03) were at higher chance of deviating from the protocol. On multivariate analysis, age more than 50 years (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: (1.01, 4.52); P value = 0.047) and reconstruction (OR: 3.36, 95% CI: (1.21, 9.32); P value = 0.020) were found to be significant. Conclusions: A three-dose perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in clean-contaminated HNSCC surgeries is feasible. Similar protocols should be developed and validated at other major centers to limit the unnecessary use of antibiotics and prevent the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Maxillary Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumour of Infancy Managed by Local Excision.

Tumours of the children involving the head and neck region are seen infrequently. Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor is an uncommon tumour of infancy involving the head and neck region typically. The case report describes a cheek swelling in an infant which on investigation was confirmed to be a Maxillary Melanotic Neuroectodermal tumour, subsequently subjected to excision and doing well on follow up.

Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (India Chapter) and Indian rectal cancer expert group's practical consensus statements for surgical management of localized and locally advanced rectal cancer.

Introduction: There are standard treatment guidelines for the surgical management of rectal cancer, that are advocated by recognized physician societies. But, owing to disparities in access and affordability of various treatment options, there remains an unmet need for personalizing these international guidelines to Indian settings. Methods: Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA) set up the Indian rectal cancer expert group, with a pre-defined selection criterion and comprised of the leading surgical oncologists and gastrointestinal surgeons managing rectal cancer in India. Following the constitution of the expert Group, members identified three areas of focus and 12 clinical questions. A thorough review of the literature was performed, and the evidence was graded as per the levels of evidence by Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The consensus was built using the modified Delphi methodology of consensus development. A consensus statement was accepted only if ≥75% of the experts were in agreement. Results: Using the results of the review of the literature and experts' opinions; the expert group members drafted and agreed on the final consensus statements, and these were classified as "strong or weak", based on the GRADE framework. Conclusion: The expert group adapted international guidelines for the surgical management of localized and locally advanced rectal cancer to Indian settings. It will be vital to disseminate these to the wider surgical oncologists and gastrointestinal surgeons' community in India.

Impact of Covid-19 on gastrointestinal cancer surgery: A National Survey.

PURPOSE: To understand the actual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and frame the future strategies, we conducted a pan India survey to study the impact on the surgical management of gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: A national multicentre survey in the form of a questionnaire from 16 tertiary care gastrointestinal oncology centres across India was conducted from January 2019 to June 2021 that was divided into a 15-month pre-Covid era and a similar period of active Covid pandemic era. RESULTS: There was significant disruption of services; 13 (81%) centres worked as dedicated Covid care centres and 43% reported suspension of essential care for more than 6 months. In active Covid phase, there was a 14.5% decrease in registrations and proportion of decrease was highest in the centres from South zone (22%). There was decrease in resections across all organ systems; maximum reduction was noted in hepatic resections (33%) followed by oesophageal and gastric resections (31 and 25% respectively). There was minimal decrease in colorectal resections (5%). A total of 584 (7.1%) patients had either active Covid-19 infection or developed infection in the post-operative period or had recovered from Covid-19 infection. Only 3 (18%) centres reported higher morbidity, while the rest of the centres reported similar or lower morbidity rates when compared to pre-Covid phase; however, 6 (37%) centres reported slightly higher mortality in the active Covid phase. CONCLUSION: Covid-19 pandemic resulted in significant reduction in new cancer registrations and elective gastrointestinal cancer surgeries. Perioperative morbidity remained similar despite 7.1% perioperative Covid 19 exposure.

Lung Cancer Management in Low and Middle-Income Countries.

Lung cancer is an increasing problem in the developing world due to rising trends in smoking, high incidence of air pollution, lack of awareness and screening, delayed presentation, and diagnosis at the advanced stage. Even after diagnosis, there are disparities in access to health care facilities and inequitable distribution of resources and treatment options. In addition, the shortage of trained personnel and infrastructure adds to the challenges faced by patients with lung cancer in these regions. A multi-pronged effort targeting tobacco cessation, health promotion and awareness, capacity building, and value-based care are the need of the hour.

Posterior mediastinal arteriovenous malformation: A rare catch.

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a very rare differential diagnosis of a posterior Mediastinum mass. We report a patient with an AVM mimicking a mediastinal tumour and describe the radiological, pathological findings and the treatment options.

Bacteremia due to obligate anaerobes following large bowel surgery in a tertiary care hospital in South India.

In view of the rising incidence of Anaerobic bacteremia(AB), the use of anaerobic blood culture bottles have been recommended in addition to the aerobic blood culture bottles. The need to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing(AST) for anaerobes has become mandatory owing to increasing metronidazole resistance. The frequency of AB following large bowel surgery and the metronidazole susceptibility for members of the Bacteroides fragilis group were determined. The incidence of AB was found to be 16%. Seventeen obligate anaerobes were isolated in total, of which B. fragilis was the most common. Two of twelve isolates of B. fragilis were resistant to metronidazole.

'Triton' Tumor of the Lower Alveolus: An Aggressive Variant of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour.

Malignant Triton tumor (MTT) is a rare variant of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor which harbingers a poor prognosis owing to its aggressive behavior. We report a case of a gentleman, who presented with MTT of the lower alveolus, and management with extensive extirpative surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.

Challenges in the Management of Lung Cancer: Real-World Experience from a Tertiary Center in South India.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and an important cause of cancer-related mortality. Recent advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy have improved outcomes, but these have limited penetration in resource-constrained situations. We report the real-world experience in treating patients with lung cancer in India. A retrospective analysis of baseline characters, treatment and outcomes of patients with lung cancer seen between January 2015 to December 2018 ( n = 302) at our center was carried out. Survival data were censored on July 31, 2019. A total of 302 patients (median age: 57 years [range, 23-84 years]; males [ n = 203; 67.2%]) were registered. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology ( n = 225, 75%). The testing rate of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation analysis in stage IV adenocarcinoma ( n = 191) was 67% and 63%, respectively. Systemic therapy (chemotherapy/gefitinib) was started after a median of 62 days (range, 1-748) from presentation and 38 days (range, 1-219 days) from diagnosis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 4.3 months (95% CI, 3.2-5.4) and 9.0 months (95% CI, 7.6-10.5), respectively in the 141 patient without targetable mutations who started palliative chemotherapy. Of the 58 patients who tested positive for EGFR mutation, 41 (71%) started an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), and the median PFS and OS in these patients were 8.5 months (95% CI, 5.6-11.4) and 18.4 months (95% CI, 12.2-24.6), respectively. Only 1 out of 10 patients with stage IV ALK -positive adenocarcinoma was started on ALK inhibitor. On multivariate analysis of OS for patients who started on palliative chemotherapy, response to first-line treatment, long distance from the center, use of second line therapy, and a delay of > 40 days from diagnosis to treatment predicted improved survival. Despite providing free diagnostic and treatment services, there was considerable delay in therapy initiation, and a significant proportion of treatment noninitiation and abandonment. Measures should be taken to understand and address the causes of these issues to realize the benefits of newer therapies The apparent paradox of improved survival in those with long delay in initiation of treatment could be explained based on a less aggressive disease biology.

The "collateral damage" of the war on COVID-19: impact of the pandemic on the care of epithelial ovarian cancer.

The covid-19 pandemic has impacted the management of non-covid-19 illnesses. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) requires long-duration multidisciplinary treatment. Teleconsultation and shared care are suggested solutions to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic. However, these may be challenging to implement among patients who come from the lower economic strata. We report the disastrous impact of the pandemic on the care of EOC by comparing patients who were treated during the pandemic with those treated in the previous year. We collected the following data from newly diagnosed patients with EOC: time from diagnosis to treatment, time for completion of planned chemotherapy, and proportion of patients completing various components of therapy (surgery and chemotherapy). Patients treated between January 2019 and September 2019 (Group 1: Pre-covid) were compared with those treated between January 2020 and December 2020 (Group 2: During covid pandemic). A total of 82 patients were registered [Group 1: 43(51%) Group 2: 39(49)]. The median time from diagnosis to start of treatment was longer in group 2 when compared to group 1 [31(23-58) days versus 17(11-30) days (p = 0.03)]. The proportion of patients who had surgery in group 2 was lower in comparison to group 1 [33(77%) versus 21(54%) (p = 0.02)]. Proportion of patients who underwent neoadjuvant (NACT) and surgery were fewer in group 2 in comparison to group 1 [9(33%) versus 18(64%) p = 0.002]. Among patients planned for adjuvant chemotherapy, the median time from diagnosis to treatment was longer in group 2 [28(17-45) days, group 1 versus 49(26-78) days, group 2 (p = 0.04)]. The treatment of patients with EOC was adversely impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a compromise in the proportion of patients completing planned therapy. Even among those who completed the treatment, there were considerable delays when compared with the pre-covid period. The impact of these compromises on the outcomes will be known with longer follow-up.