Impact of COVID-19 crisis on medical care of patients with metastasized uro-oncologic disease under systemic cancer therapy: a multicenter study in German university hospitals - Summary - MDSpire

Impact of COVID-19 crisis on medical care of patients with metastasized uro-oncologic disease under systemic cancer therapy: a multicenter study in German university hospitals

  • By

  • Julian P. Struck

  • Maike Schnoor

  • Andrea Schulze

  • Marie C. Hupe

  • Tomasz Ozimek

  • Immanuel A. Oppolzer

  • Marco J. Schnabel

  • Maximilian Burger

  • Christopher Darr

  • Viktor Gruenwald

  • Boris Hadaschik

  • Maximilian Weinke

  • Hubert Kuebler

  • Jonas C. Klockenbusch

  • Markus T. Grabbert

  • Christian Gratzke

  • Mario W. Kramer

  • Alexander Katalinic

  • Axel S. Merseburger

  • November 30, 2021

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical care of patients with metastasized uro-oncologic disease receiving systemic cancer therapy in German university hospitals, particularly focusing on treatment delays and patient outcomes.

Key Findings:
  • Delays in medical care were observed, with significant deviations from standard treatment timelines, affecting patient outcomes.
  • The majority of patients were male (87.6%) with a median age of 68.5 years, indicating a specific demographic trend.
  • 81.9% of patients had favorable clinical conditions (ECOG performance status 0–1), suggesting a generally manageable patient population.
Interpretation:

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the timely medical care of patients with metastatic uro-oncologic diseases, potentially affecting their prognosis and survival, highlighting the need for improved care strategies.

Limitations:
  • The study was limited to a specific time frame during the first COVID-19 wave, which may not reflect ongoing impacts.
  • Data were collected retrospectively, which may introduce bias and limit the reliability of findings.
Conclusion:

The findings highlight the need for strategies to mitigate treatment delays for uro-oncology patients during public health crises, including enhanced communication and resource allocation.

Original Source(s)

Impact of COVID-19 crisis on medical care of patients with metastasized uro-oncologic disease under systemic cancer therapy: a multicenter study in German university hospitals

  • by Julian P. Struck, Maike Schnoor, Andrea Schulze, Marie C. Hupe, Tomasz Ozimek, Immanuel A. Oppolzer, Marco J. Schnabel, Maximilian Burger, Christopher Darr, Viktor Gruenwald, Boris Hadaschik, Maximilian Weinke, Hubert Kuebler, Jonas C. Klockenbusch, Markus T. Grabbert, Christian Gratzke, Mario W. Kramer, Alexander Katalinic, Axel S. Merseburger

  • November 30, 2021

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