Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ghosh, Joydeep
• Ganguly, Sandip
• Mondal, Debapriya
• Pandey, Prashant
• Dabkara, Deepak
• Biswas, Bivas

Titel

Perspective of Oncology Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Observational Study From India

Ist Teil von

• JCO global oncology, 2020-06, Vol.6 (6), p.844-851

Ort / Verlag

United States: American Society of Clinical Oncology

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed a unique challenge to oncology patients and their treatment. There is no study related to the patients' preference for systemic therapy during this pandemic. We have conducted a prospective study to analyze that aspect. All consecutive patients who visited during the lockdown period from April 1-10, 2020, for systemic chemotherapy were included in the study for a questionnaire-based survey to evaluate the willingness to continue chemotherapy during this pandemic and factors influencing the decisions. A total of 302 patients were included (median age, 56 years; range, 21-77 years). Most common sites of cancer were breast (n = 114), lung (n = 44), ovary (n = 34), and colon (n = 20). Home address was within the city for 125 patients (42%), outside the city for 138 (46%), and outside the state for 37 (12%). Treatment was curative in 150 patients and palliative in 152. Educational status was primary and above for 231 patients and no formal schooling for 71. A total of 203 patients wanted to continue chemotherapy, 40 wanted to defer, and 56 wanted the physician to decide. Knowledge about COVID-19 strongly correlated with intent of treatment ( = .01), disease status ( = .02), knowledge about immunosuppression ( < .001), home location ( = .02), and education status ( = .003). The worry about catching SARS-CoV-2 was high in those with controlled disease ( = .06) and knowledge about immunosuppression ( = .02). Worry about disease progression was more with palliative intent ( < .001). This study shows that oncology patients in our country are more worried about disease progression than the SARS-CoV-2 and wish to continue chemotherapy during this pandemic. The treatment guidelines in the COVID-19 scenario should incorporate patients' perspectives.