Background: It is widely accepted that multidisciplinary team meetings (MTM) ensure higher quality of care and improved survival in breast cancer (BC) patients. During the COVID-19 outbreak in Northern Italy, in the large territory of ULSS6 “Euganea” (province of Padova, nearly one million people and 3 local hospitals: Cittadella – CTD, Camposampiero – CSP, Schiavonia -SCH) since the end of February 2020, SCH were turned into “COVID-19 hospital” and BC cancer patients were then transferred to CTD in order to underwent surgery. Prior to COVID-19 outbreak, MTM took place weekly, while during the COVID-19 emergency, MTM were largely suspended.
Material and methods: This was a retrospective observational study including patients newly diagnosed BC, discussed in pre- and/or posttherapeutic MTM between March 1st, 2019 and May 1st, 2019 compared to the same period of 2020, during COVID-19 emergency. EUSOMA quality indicators were evaluated and compared in order to establish the impact of COVID-19 outbreak in breast cancer patients’ management in absence of MTM.
Results: Despite COVID-19 emergency, the time passed from the first diagnostic procedure to surgery/CT treatment was nearly the same in the two periods (41 ± 14 days in 2019, range 18–92 days versus 37 ± 19 days in 2020, range 15–107 days; p = 0.3). The only parameter which drastically changed was the proportion of patients to be discussed in MTM (p adjusted for false discovery rate = 0.002). However, the absence of MTM was substituted by a more point-to-point communication (oncologists/surgeons/ radiologists directly communicating with the others) did not loosen the straight organization of the procedures, as showed by the adherence to the most part of EUSOMA quality indicators
Conclusions: The presence of MTM in a beast unit is a powerful mean to assess quality in breast cancer patients’ management. The well-established adherence to EUSOMA criteria and to standard procedures allowed us to maintain the high quality of breast cancer care and management, even during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Veneto region.
No conflict of interest.