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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Staging, and Treatment: A Population-Based Study in Northern Italy
by
, , , , , , , , , , and
Lucia Mangone
1,*,
Francesco Marinelli
1,
Isabella Bisceglia
1,
Angelina Filice
2,
Maria Barbara Braghiroli
1,
Francesca Roncaglia
1,
Andrea Palicelli
3,
Fortunato Morabito
4,
Antonino Neri
5,
Roberto Sabbatini
6,
Cinzia Iotti
7 and
Carmine Pinto
8 1
Epidemiology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
2
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
3
Pathology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
4
Gruppo Amici Dell’Ematologia Foundation—GrADE, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy
5
Scientific Directorate, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
6
Medical Oncology Division, Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
7
Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Advanced Technology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
8
Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2024, 13(7), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070499
Submission received: 17 June 2024
/
Revised: 2 July 2024
/
Accepted: 3 July 2024
/
Published: 4 July 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Biology)
Simple Summary
COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on new cancer diagnoses and the treatment of cancer patients. This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected prostate cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy. Using data from the Cancer Registry from 2018 to 2021, we found a significant drop in new prostate cancer diagnoses during 2020, the height of the pandemic. The number of new cases decreased by 31% in 2020, with a slight recovery of 5% in 2021. We also observed a shift towards more advanced stages and aggressive forms of prostate cancer, with fewer early-stage diagnoses and more cases of metastatic cancer. Despite these changes, treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy have remained constant. The pandemic disrupted an increasing trend of prostate cancer diagnoses seen before 2019, highlighting the need for ongoing diagnostic services and healthcare delivery, even during global health emergencies. Our study highlights the significant impact of COVID-19 on prostate cancer management and the importance of healthcare system resilience.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in cancer diagnoses and reductions in treatments. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on prostate cancer by evaluating whether there has been a shift towards more aggressive (Gleason) and more advanced tumors (stage IV) and a decline in treatments. The study was conducted on 1123 cases of prostate cancer incident in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, in the period of 2018–2021. In 2020, there was a decline in new diagnoses of prostate cancer (−31%), followed by a slight recovery in 2021 (+5%). While Gleason 7 and 8–10 values remained constant, a significant decrease was recorded in stage I (38.7%, 41.6%, 35.5%, and 27.7%) and an increase in stage IV (13.1%, 13%, 15.4%, and 20%) cases in the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. However, there was no impact on surgical treatment (which remained constant at around 35%) and radiotherapy (around 39%). Our findings underline the profound impact of COVID-19 on prostate cancer management, highlighting the importance of healthcare resilience in the face of unprecedented disruptions.
Keywords:
prostate cancer; COVID-19; stage; Gleason; surgery; radiotherapy
