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. 2024 Apr 22;13(8):2439.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13082439.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Head and Neck Cancer Management: The Experience of the Maxillo-Facial Surgery Department of a French Regional Referral Center in a High-Incidence Area

Emilien Colin  1   2   3 , Agnès Paasche  1   2   3 , Alban Destrez  1   2   3 , Bernard Devauchelle  1   2   3 , Jérémie Bettoni  1   2   3 , Julien Bouquet  1   2   3 , Stéphanie Dakpé  1   2   3 , Sylvie Testelin  1   2   3
Affiliations

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Head and Neck Cancer Management: The Experience of the Maxillo-Facial Surgery Department of a French Regional Referral Center in a High-Incidence Area

Emilien Colin et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Cancer patients are at a high risk of complications in cases of infection, and head and neck cancers (HNC) are no exception. Since late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global health crisis, with high rates and severe forms of the disease in cancer patients. Hospitalization, surgery and radiotherapy were rapidly described as increasing the risk of infection. Since March 2020, the Amiens University Hospital (France) has been taking care of COVID-19 patients while its maxillofacial surgery department managed HNC patients without interruption, even during lockdown periods. However, many questions concerning the impact on patient care were still pending. The aim of this study is to describe HNC management in our center during the first epidemic peak and to evaluate the impact of containment measures on patient treatment. Methods: We retrospectively included 44 HNC patients treated in our department between 1 March and 31 August 2020. Two groups were defined according to the period of care: lockdown (March to May) and lighter restrictions (June to August). Results: The results show typical epidemiological characteristics, maintained management times and non-downgraded procedures. Conclusions: Thus, during the first epidemic peak, continuity of care and patients' safety could be ensured thanks to adequate means, adapted procedures and an experienced surgical team.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; clinical outcomes; head and neck cancer; lockdown period; maxillofacial surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses or interpretation of the data, in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagnosis to the multidisciplinary team meeting (MTM) interval (DMI) according to the group (a) and according to the first treatment modality (b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagnosis to treatment interval (DTI) (in days) according to the group (a) and according to the first treatment modality (b) (* significant, ** highly significant, *** very highly significant).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proportion of survivors (%) for each group over time (months).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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