Mangone Lucia, Marinelli Francesco, Bisceglia Isabella, Filice Angelina, Braghiroli Maria Barbara, Roncaglia Francesca, Palicelli Andrea, Morabito Fortunato, Neri Antonino, Sabbatini Roberto, Iotti Cinzia, Pinto Carmine
Epidemiology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Jul 4;13(7):499. doi: 10.3390/biology13070499.
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.
新冠疫情导致癌症诊断延迟和治疗减少。这项工作的目的是通过评估是否出现向更具侵袭性（Gleason评分）和更晚期肿瘤（IV期）的转变以及治疗的减少，来评估疫情对前列腺癌的影响。该研究对意大利北部雷焦艾米利亚省2018 - 2021年期间确诊的1123例前列腺癌病例进行。2020年，前列腺癌新诊断病例有所下降（-31%），随后在2021年略有回升（+5%）。虽然Gleason 7级和8 - 10级病例数保持不变，但2018年、2019年、2020年和2021年I期病例显著减少（分别为38.7%、41.6%、35.5%和27.7%），IV期病例增加（分别为13.1%、13%、15.4%和20%）。然而，疫情对手术治疗（保持在35%左右）和放疗（约39%）没有影响。我们的研究结果强调了新冠疫情对前列腺癌管理的深远影响，凸显了在面对前所未有的干扰时医疗保健恢复能力的重要性。
