Post-Pandemic Aftermath: A Two-Year Follow-Up of the Effect of COVID-19 on Oncological Outcomes after Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer

• Mihnea Bogdan Borz ^[2] ; Vlad Horia Schitcu ^[2] ; Nicolae Crisan ^[3] ; Bogdan Petrut ^[2] ; Bogdan Adrian Buhas ^[1] ; Paul Cristian Borz ^[4] ; Dan Valean ^[3] ; Igor Duquesne ^[5] ; Ioan Coman ^[3]
  1. [1] University of Oradea

     University of Oradea

     Rumanía

     
  2. [2] Urology Department, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  3. [3] Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  4. [4] Gastroenterology Department, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Prof. Dr. Octavian Fodor, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  5. [5] Urology department, Cochin Hospital-Port Royal, Paris, France

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• Localización: Archivos españoles de urología, ISSN 0004-0614, Tomo 77, Nº. 1, 2024, págs. 43-48
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the indirect effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the surgical outcomes and oncological results of patients who underwent surgery during the lockdown period.

    Methods: We analysed data from 423 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 2016 and 2022, with a cut-off date of March 16, 2020. Patients were categorised into two groups, namely, pre-lockdown (n = 289) and during lockdown (n = 134). Perioperative variables, histopathological findings and oncological outcomes, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and biochemical recurrence (BCR), were assessed.

    Results: The number of radical prostatectomy increased by 24.26% during lockdown. The study included patients with a mean follow-up of 21 months. A nonsignificant trend towards a higher PSA level at presentation was found (14.22 vs. 12.53 ng/dL, p = 0.216). The International Society of Urological Pathology grade was not significantly different among radical prostatectomy specimens (p = 0.669). Lymph node involvement increased during the COVID-19 period (p = 0.046). The pT classification in prostatectomy specimens increased during the pandemic, but the difference from the pre-pandemic value was not statistically significant. The BCR rates were 24.6% pre-lockdown and 29.9% during lockdown (p = 0.136).

    Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to poor postoperative results. Through a 2-year follow-up, this research investigated the effect of the pandemic on the oncological outcomes, particularly BCR, of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. Further extended investigations and multi-institutional studies should be conducted to quantify the effect of the pandemic on various cancer outcomes and inform crisis management strategies.