Significant Decrease in Annual Cancer Diagnoses in Spain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Real-Data Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a profound change in health organizations at both the primary and hospital care levels. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the annual rate of new cancer diagnosis in two university-affiliated hospitals. This study includes all the patients with a pathological diagnosis of cancer attended in two hospitals in Málaga (Spain) during the first year of pandemic. This study population was compared with the patients diagnosed during the previous year 2019. To analyze whether the possible differences in the annual rate of diagnoses were due to the pandemic or to other causes, the patients diagnosed during 2018 and 2017 were also compared. There were 2340 new cancer diagnosis compared to 2825 patients in 2019 which represented a decrease of -17.2% (p = 0.0001). Differences in the number of cancer patients diagnosed between 2018 and 2019 (2840 new cases; 0.5% increase) or 2017 and 2019 (2909 new cases; 3% increase) were not statistically significant. The highest number of patients lost from diagnosis in 2020 was in breast cancer (-26.1%), colorectal neoplasms (-16.9%), and head and neck tumors (-19.8%). The study of incidence rates throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic shows that the diagnosis of new cancer patients has been significantly impaired. Health systems must take the necessary measures to restore pre-pandemic diagnostic procedures and to recover lost patients who have not been diagnosed.

Physicians and the prescription of hormone replacement therapy in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescription and identify women's sociodemographic and climacteric factors, as well as variables related to healthcare, associated with the treatment's prescription in women aged 45-65 years in the reference population of a primary healthcare centre in the city of Granada (Spain). METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in July 2002 with women aged 45-65 years from the reference population of a primary healthcare centre. The information was gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire specifically developed to gather information on the prescription of HRT. RESULTS: 22.3% of the sample had ever been prescribed with HRT. Regarding compliance with the treatment, 44.2% of the women prescribed with this therapy took it partially, and 8.1% did not begin with the treatment. The variables independently associated with HRT prescription were having the menopause (OR=2.81; IC 95%: 1.08-7.28), having psychological symptoms (OR=2.77; IC 95%: 1.19-6.46), going to see the gynaecologist (OR=4.41; IC 95%: 1.87-10.36), and the fact that the doctor worked in the private healthcare sector (OR=3.55; IC 95%: 0.92-13.65). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of HRT prescription in Spain is high, as well as the non-compliance rate. Reaching the menopause and going to the gynaecologist are determinant in HRT prescription. It would be desirable to use similar methodological approaches in studies of this controversial therapy, in order to obtain consensus on the real impact on the female population, particularly in view of the results of the latest clinical trials.

[Knowledge of hormone replacement therapy among menopausal women]. / Conocimientos de las mujeres menopáusicas respecto a la terapia hormonal sustitutiva.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the information that women have on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the sources of this information and how it is related to prescription. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study through a telephone survey. Information was collected on prescription of HRT, knowledge of HRT and of its health benefits, risks and type of risk, and sources of information. RESULTS: 371 interviews (80% of the original sample) were completed. 66% of the sample reported knowledge of the benefits of HRT and 42% learnt of them from health professionals. 36% thought that HRT could pose health risks. 91% of the women prescribed this treatment reported knowledge of its benefits compared with 57% of those not prescribed it (OR = 7.32; 95% CI, 2.86-18.74). Health professionals were the main source of information about these benefits among women prescribed HRT (93%) (OR = 83,47; 95% CI, 26.83-278.63). 57% of the women prescribed HRT reported knowledge of its risks compared with 28% of those not prescribed this therapy (OR = 3.11; 95% CI, 1.59-6.05). CONCLUSIONS: Women prescribed HRT were better informed than those not prescribed this therapy. Among users, more than 90% mentioned some benefits, but 43% reported not knowing about its risks. Information on the benefits of HRT was mainly provided by health professionals whereas information on the risks was provided by both health professionals and the mass media.

Conocimientos de las mujeres menopáusicas respecto a la terapia hormonal sustitutiva / Knowledge of hormone replacement therapy among menopausal women

Objetivos: Analizar la información que tienen las mujeres sobre la terapia hormonal sustitutiva (THS), de quién proviene esta información y cómo se relaciona con la prescripción. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal mediante encuesta telefónica. En relación con la THS, se recogió información sobre su prescripción, el conocimiento sobre la misma y las fuentes de información, sus beneficios y riesgos para la salud y el tipo y fuente de información sobre éstos. Resultados: Se realizaron 371 entrevistas (el 80 por ciento de la muestra seleccionada originalmente). El 66 por ciento de las mujeres refería conocer los beneficios y el 42 por ciento los conocía a través de los profesionales sanitarios. El 36 por ciento de las encuestadas creía que la THS tenía riesgos para la salud. El 91 por ciento de las mujeres a las que se les prescribe este tratamiento refiere conocer sus beneficios, frente a sólo el 57 por ciento de las mujeres a las que no se les prescribe (odds ratio [OR] = 7,32; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95 por ciento, 2,86-18,74). Los profesionales sanitarios son la principal fuente de información de estos beneficios entre las mujeres que reciben la prescripción (93 por ciento) (OR = 83,47; IC del 95 por ciento, 26,83-278,63). El 57 por ciento de las mujeres a las que se les prescribe este tratamiento refieren conocer sus riesgos, frente al 28 por ciento de las mujeres a las que no se les prescribe (OR = 3,11; IC del 95 por ciento, 1,59-6,05). Conclusiones: Las mujeres a las que se les prescribe THS tienen un nivel de información superior. La inmensa mayoría de las usuarias menciona algún beneficio, pero un 43 por ciento refiere desconocer los riesgos que implica su uso. En cuanto a la fuente de información, los aspectos beneficiosos del tratamiento se conocen mayoritariamente a través de los profesionales sanitarios, mientras que los riesgos se conocen tanto a partir de los profesionales sanitarios como de los medios de comunicación (AU)