According to a recent study, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the care and well-being of cancer patients, particularly those in advanced stages.
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| Photo: Cancer Patient | InStyleHealth |
"The COVID-19 pandemic threw cancer care into
disarray. According to the authors, “the impact of these disturbances on
patient experiences remains relatively understudied.”
To fill this knowledge vacuum, a virtual snowball
sampling approach was used to conduct a survey among adults with cancer across
the United States from April 1 to August 26, 2020, in partnership with
professional organizations, cancer care providers, and patient advocacy groups.
The authors then used descriptive statistics, χ2 and t tests to analyze the
data.
The study enlisted the participation of 328 cancer
patients from 38 different states. The majority of them were non-Hispanic White
(n=183; 58.7%) and female (n=177; 56.7%), with a median age of 57. Furthermore,
91 percent of respondents spoke English at home, 70.1 percent had health
insurance, and 67 percent had home internet connection.
Breast cancer (n=67; 21.5 percent) was the most
prevalent diagnosis. Almost one-quarter of the patients (n=80; 25.6%) had stage
4 disease, and nearly half of the respondents (n=145; 46%) had their care
changed as a result of COVID-19.
187 (60%) of cancer patients expressed fear that the
pandemic would have an impact on their care and well-being (p0.001).
Furthermore, more than half of the respondents (n=162; 52%) said COVID-19 had
an impact on one or more areas of social determinants of health, with a
disproportionate impact on those with advanced illness stages.
"Future research should examine customized
strategies to reduce COVID-19's impact on cancer patients," the scientists
wrote.
Source: Am J Clin Oncol 2021;44:580-587