Background: "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the oncological care system in Poland" report shows that the number of new diagnoses of malignant neoplasms in Poland has decreased by 20% and there also has been a decrease by 10-15% in the area of oncological surgery procedures (https://www.zwrotnikraka.pl / influencing-pandemic-covid-19-na-system-oncological-care /). It is also known that CRS+HIPEC procedures in the treatment of patients with primary and secondary peritoneal neoplasms have been performed in Poland in insufficient amounts for many years now (Nowotwory Journal of Oncology 2014; 64, 6: 518–524).
The aim of this single- center study was to analyze changes in the availability and implementation of CRS+HIPEC procedures performed at the Wroclaw Comprehensive Cancer Center (WCCC), Poland, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: Demographic, clinical, oncological and technical aspects database of all WCCC patients undergoing the CRS+HIPEC procedure was created. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the Statistica version 12.5 (StatSoft) program, with particular emphasis on the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (from 03.2020).
Results: In the period from 01.2014 to 04.2022 (the first 100 months of the procedure), a total of 232 CRS+HIPEC procedures were performed at WCCC, on average 28 per year (range 20-37). During the COVID-19 pandemic (from 03.2020), after the initial complete suspension of CRS+HIPEC procedures (03.2020- 05.2020), their dynamic growth occurred- 72 procedures were performed in the period 06.2020- 04.2022 in total. The main indications were still ovarian (40%) and colorectal (39%) cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clavien-Dindo grade III and IV complication rate (14%) did not change, and there were no perioperative deaths recorded.
Conclusions: In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, CRS+HIPEC procedures remain a safe and promising therapeutic option for selected patients with primary and secondary peritoneal cancers.
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