Evaluation of the effect of COVID 19 pandemic on breast cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious changes in our routine healthcare practices. With this study, we aimed to determine the effect of the pandemic on the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods:The medical records of patients who applied for breast imaging between March 2019 and January 2021 were retrospectively scanned. Among the patients diagnosed with BI-RADS category 4 and 5, those who had percutaneous ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsy (CNBB) and excisional biopsy after ultrasound guided wire marking (UGWM) were included in the study. The study period was divided into two groups; March 2019-January 2020 was grouped as pre-pandemic and March 2020-January 2021 post-pandemic. Results:A total of, 14200 breast imaging examinations were performed in 9378 patients in the pre-pandemic period, and 3778 breast imaging examinations were performed in 2375 patients in the post-pandemic period. The mean age of the patients was 48.98±14.11 years. While the number of lesions biopsied was 201 (1.4%) in the pre-pandemic period, it was 61 (1.6%) in the post-pandemic period. The number of malignant breast lesions was 97 before the pandemic and 30 after the pandemic. After the pandemic, the number of patients undergoing breast imaging, the number of examinations, the number of biopsy, the number of malignant lesions decreased by 74%, 73%, 69% and 69%, respectively. The highest decrease in the number of examination was in April and May, with 97.55% and 96.35%. Conclusions:With the pandemic, the number of patients admitted to the hospital, the number of breast imaging, the number of biopsy and the number of malignant breast lesions detected decreased about 70%. It has been noticed that during the pandemic process, patients have been delaying their regular check-ups and the time to apply to the hospital has been prolonged.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• , pandemic
• breast cancer

COVID-19 pandemisinin meme kanseri tanısına etkisinin değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç COVID-19 pandemisi, rutin sağlık uygulamalarımızda ciddi değişikliklere neden oldu. Bu çalışma ile pandeminin meme kanseri tanısına etkisini belirlemeyi amaçladık. Materyal-Method Mart 2019-Ocak 2021 tarihleri arasında meme görüntülenmesi için başvuran hastaların tıbbi kayıtları geriye dönük olarak tarandı. BI-RADS kategori 4 ve 5 olan hastalardan ultrasonografi eşliğinde perkütan meme iğne kor biyopsi ve ultrasonografi eşliğinde tel ile işaretleme sonrası eksizyonel biyopsi yapılanlar çalışmaya dahil edildi. Çalışma süresi iki gruba ayrıldı; Mart 2019-Ocak 2020 pandemi öncesi ve Mart 2020-Ocak 2021 pandemi sonrası olarak gruplandırılmıştır. Bulgular Pandemi öncesi dönemde 9378 hastaya toplam 14200 meme görüntüleme tetkiki, pandemi sonrası dönemde ise 2375 hastaya 3778 meme görüntüleme tetkiki yapıldı. Hastaların yaş ortalaması 48,98±14,11 yıl idi. Pandemi öncesi dönemde biyopsi yapılan lezyon sayısı 201 (%1,4) iken, pandemi sonrası dönemde 61 (%1,6) idi. Malign meme lezyonlarının sayısı pandemi öncesi 97, pandemi sonrası 30 idi. Pandemi sonrası meme görüntüleme yapılan hasta sayısı, tetkik sayısı, biyopsi sayısı, malign lezyon sayısı sırasıyla %74, %73, %69 ve %69 azaldı. Tetkik sayısında en fazla azalma %97,55 ve %96,35 ile Nisan ve Mayıs aylarında olmuştur. Sonuç Pandemi ile birlikte hastaneye başvuran hasta sayısı, meme görüntüleme sayısı, biopsi sayısı ve tespit edilen malign meme lezyonlarının sayısı yaklaşık %70 oranında azaldı. Pandemi sürecinde hastaların düzenli kontrollerini aksattıkları, hastaneye başvuru sürelerinin uzadığı farkedilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID 19
• pandemi
• meme kanseri

Kaynakça

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