Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Department of Biostatistics and Mathematical Modelling, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 Oct;36(10):1766-1773. doi: 10.1111/jdv.18217. Epub 2022 Jun 17.
SARS-CoV-2 has massively changed the care situation in hospitals worldwide. Although tumour care should not be affected, initial reports from European countries were suggestive for a decrease in skin cancer during the first pandemic wave and only limited data are available thereafter.
The aim of this study was to investigate skin cancer cases and surgeries in a nationwide inpatient dataset in Germany.
Comparative analyses were performed in a prepandemic (18 March 2019 until 17 March 2020) and a pandemic cohort (18 March 2020 until 17 March 2021). Cases were identified and analysed using the WHO international classification of diseases codes (ICDs) and process key codes (OPSs).
Comparing the first year of the pandemic with the same period 1 year before, a persistent decrease of 14% in skin cancer cases (n = 19 063) was observed. The largest decrease of 24% was seen in non-invasive in situ tumours (n = 1665), followed by non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with a decrease of 16% (n = 15 310) and malignant melanoma (MM) with a reduction of 7% (n = 2088). Subgroup analysis showed significant differences in the distribution of sex, age, hospital carrier type and hospital volume. There was a decrease of 17% in surgical procedures (n = 22 548), which was more pronounced in minor surgical procedures with a decrease of 24.6% compared to extended skin surgery including micrographic surgery with a decrease of 15.9%.
Hospital admissions and surgical procedures decreased persistently since the beginning of the pandemic in Germany for skin cancer patients. The higher decrease in NMSC cases compared to MM might reflect a prioritization effect. Further evidence from tumour registries is needed to investigate the consequences of the therapy delay and identify the upcoming challenges in skin cancer care.
SARS-CoV-2 极大地改变了全球医院的护理状况。尽管肿瘤护理不应受到影响，但来自欧洲国家的初步报告表明，在第一波大流行期间，皮肤癌病例减少，此后的数据有限。
本研究旨在调查德国全国住院患者数据库中的皮肤癌病例和手术情况。
在大流行前（2020 年 3 月 18 日至 2020 年 3 月 17 日）和大流行期间（2020 年 3 月 18 日至 2021 年 3 月 17 日）进行比较分析。使用世界卫生组织国际疾病分类（ICD）和手术关键代码（OPS）识别和分析病例。
与前一年同期相比，在大流行的第一年观察到皮肤癌病例持续减少 14%（n=19063）。非侵袭性原位肿瘤（n=1665）下降幅度最大，为 24%，其次是非黑色素瘤皮肤癌（NMSC），下降 16%（n=15310），恶性黑色素瘤（MM）下降 7%（n=2088）。亚组分析显示，在性别、年龄、医院载体类型和医院容量方面存在显著差异。手术数量减少 17%（n=22548），微创手术减少 24.6%，而包括显微外科在内的广泛皮肤手术减少 15.9%，减少更为明显。
自大流行开始以来，德国皮肤癌患者的住院和手术持续减少。与 MM 相比，NMSC 病例的下降幅度更大，这可能反映了一种优先化效应。需要更多来自肿瘤登记处的证据来调查治疗延迟的后果，并确定皮肤癌护理面临的未来挑战。
