"I have cancer during COVID; that's a special category": a qualitative study of head and neck cancer patient and provider experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed cancer care delivery strategies. Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer (LA-HNC) may be particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they often undergo treatments that require daily clinic visits (e.g., radiation therapy). The goal of this study was to characterize the lived experience of LA-HNC patients and their healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

LA-HNC patients who completed a full course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy during the COVID19 pandemic (N = 20) and LA-HNC healthcare providers (N = 13) participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for qualitative themes.

Results

The COVID-19 pandemic had a

SUBMITTER: Kirtane K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8799415 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature