The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cancer patients presenting to surgical wards at tertiary care hospital Peshawar | [Pakistan Journal of Surgery • 2022]

Author(s):

1. Muhammad Naeem: Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

2. Mian Qaviullah: Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

3. Amir Hamza Khan: Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

4. Muhammad Asghar: KMC/Khyber Teaching Hospital(KTH), Peshawar, Pakistan

5. Noor Rehman: KMC/Khyber Teaching Hospital(KTH), Peshawar, Pakistan

6. Mushtaq Ahmad: Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract:

Cancer is a serious disease that af ects the lives of millions around the globe. During COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients were neglected and due to their miss management in hospitals, they presented in advanced stages of their primary disease specifi cally due to the suspension of elective services. Th e current study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients. Th e current study was designed at the department of surgery in Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar from 1st April 2020 to 30th March 2021 in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. A total of 160-cancer patients were divided equally into 2 groups i.e. Group-A (pre-COVID-19 era patients) and Group-B (COVID-19 era patients). Th ese two groups were selected on basis of non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Dif erent statistic tools like SPSS and Origin 2018 soft ware were used for means, standard deviation and percentages. Results: During April and December a total of 160 cancer patients were studied in both years i.e. 2019 (pre-COVID-19 period) and 2020 (COVID-19 period). Th e mean age of presentation for patients in 2019 was 46.11 and in 2020 it was 50.38. Patients who were hospitalized to surgical wards during the COVID-19 tenure had comparatively longer mean duration of hospital stay with around 8 days (CI 2.49-13.39) hence showing signifi cance with a p-value importantly, study sample was analyzed and results showed that 57.5% (n=46) of the patients presented to surgical wards with less aggressive tumors in 2019 as opposed to 2020 where 67.5% (n=54) of patients came to the hospital with advanced stage malignancies; this indicates a signifi cant p-value of 0.001. Conclusion: We are of the opinion that the pandemic is not over yet. Problems such as the global spread of cancer due to COVID-19 and its long term ef ects on the quality of life of patients worldwide is still being investigated. It is stipulated that the long-term consequences of decreased cancer screening, delayed hospital visits as well as the rise in elective surgery waiting times on cancer stage progression and outcomes, are anticipated to be significant.

Page(s): 134-140

DOI: DOI not available

Published: Journal: Pakistan Journal of Surgery, Volume: 38, Issue: 3, Year: 2022

Keywords:

Mortality , cancer , COVID19 , Morbidity , early stage , late stage

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