Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Stage: A Single-Institute Study in South Korea.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most prevalent and fatal cancers worldwide. National cancer screening programs in countries with high incidences of this disease provide medical aid beneficiaries with free-of-charge screening involving upper endoscopy to detect early-stage GC. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine healthcare access. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis, overall incidence, and stage distribution of GC.

Materials and methods

We identified patients in our hospital cancer registry who were diagnosed with GC between January 2018 and December 2021 and compared the cancer stage at diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subgroup analyses were conducted

SUBMITTER: Hong M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10630563 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature