Table 2.
Medical investigations characteristics of patients presenting in the outpatient setting for cervical cancer investigations and treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Variables * | Pre-Pandemic (n = 2281) | during Pandemic (n = 1340) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual tests | |||
| Pap smear, n = 3125 | 2017 (88.4%) | 1148 (85.7%) | 0.015 |
| HPV test, n = 574 | 383 (16.8%) | 191 (14.3%) | 0.043 |
| Colposcopy, n = 149 | 108 (4.7%) | 41 (3.1%) | 0.014 |
| Awaiting results (>4 weeks) | 126 (5.5%) | 197 (14.7%) | <0.001 |
| High-grade cytology result | 258 (11.3%) | 159 (11.9%) | 0.613 |
| Newly diagnosed cervical cancers, n = 105 | 72 (3.2%) | 33 (2.5%) | 0.229 |
| Cancer stage ** | 0.043 | ||
| Stage I | 24 (33.4%) | 4 (12.1%) | 0.022 |
| Stage II | 28 (38.9%) | 12 (36.4%) | 0.804 |
| Stage III | 13 (18.0%) | 13 (39.4%) | 0.018 |
| Stage IV | 7 (9.7%) | 4 (12.1%) | 0.709 |
| Interval from biopsy result to first cancer center visit, months (median [IQR]) | 4.1 [2–9] | 6.4 [3–11] | <0.001 |
| Missed appointments | 174 (7.6%) | 216 (16.1%) | <0.001 |
| Cervical cancer-related mortality | 219 (9.6%) | 184 (13.7%) | 0.366 |
* Data presented as n (%) unless specified differently; IQR—interquartile range; ** based on the FIGO staging system; pre-pandemic period—2018–2019; pandemic period—2020–2021.