AUTHOR=Ye Pei-Jing , Xi Yan , Sun Chuan-Zheng , Lei Qian , Li Lei 

TITLE=Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on elderly patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.966011

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2022.966011

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on elderly patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in our center.
Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical characteristics of 400 elderly patients with HNSCC, calculated their treatment interruption rates, and compared the time of delayed diagnosis.
Results: The rate of elderly patients with HNSCC with a delayed diagnosis was higher in the "during the COVID-19 pandemic" group than in the "before the COVID-19 pandemic" group, the difference was statistically significant (p=.0017). There was a substantial difference in the rate of treatment interruption between the two groups (p=.002).
Conclusions: This is the first study to explore the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on visits and treatment interruptions in elderly patients with HNSCC. The current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HNSCC treatment has resulted in reductions and delays in diagnosing cancer and providing treatment.