Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in treating gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients receiving systemic anticancer treatment (SACT): The Guy's Cancer Centre experience.
Authors: Roca Jose , Sita-Lumsden Ailsa , Tsotra Eirini , Gousis Charalampos , Russell Beth , Moss Charlotte , Harris Victoria , Owczarczyk Kasia , De Naurois Julien , Maisey Nicholas R. , Ngan Sarah , Sarker Debashis , Thillai Kiruthikah , Michalarea Vasiliki , Qureshi Asad , Petkar Imran , Rigg Anne Sagar , Van Hemelrijck Mieke , Ross Paul J. , Dolly Saoirse 
Published: June 2021

3612

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the spectrum of cancer care. Worldwide healthcare systems have rapidly reorganized cancer services to ensure patients continue to receive essential care whilst optimizing the use of systemic anti-cancer treatments (SACT) and minimizing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our study aimed to identify the outcome of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in our Cancer Centre during the pandemic compared to the same period in 2019. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all GI patients receiving any SACT at Guy’s Cancer Centre from the 1 March-31 May 2020 and 2019. Demographic data (age, ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES), Performance status, cancer and SACT characteristics (type, intent and treatment-line) were collected during both periods. Also we collated the number of COVID-19 infections confirmed by PCR and severity defined by the WHO classification. Patients with clinical or radiological diagnosis were excluded. Results: 567 patients received SACT in 2019 and 417 patients in 2020 (26.4% less). No differences were observed in the demographic or tumour type characteristics. Commonest cancers in both periods were similar: colorectal (47.1, 47%), oesophago-gastric (29, 27.6%), pancreatic-biliary and NET tumours (23.8, 25.4%). However, there were a higher proportion of patients with advanced disease treated in 2020 (70.3% versus 55.2%). Treatment intent was similar in both years: radical (3.5 vs 3.8%), adjuvant (18.2% vs 17.3%), neoadjuvant (15.3% vs 12.7%) and palliative (63% vs 66.2%). There was an increase in the proportion of patients treated in the palliative first line setting (63.8% in 2020 vs 47.6% in 2019) and a reduction in the proportion of third or more treatment (8.7% versus 16.2%) mainly in the colorectal patients. Of 417 GI patients receiving SACT, 14 (3.35%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Of these, 64.3% were male, 92.9% were low SES and 35.7% were of Caucasian ethnicity. Colorectal cancer was the commonest (57.1%) tumour-type in the COVID-positive group and 57.1% had advanced disease. All the patients that died from COVID-19 were male. 13 patients were on chemotherapy and 1 was on targeted/biological treatment . None was in immunotherapy (n=4). Only one patient was neutropenic (grade 1). 8 patients (57.1%) had severe infection and there were 3 (21.4%) COVID-related deaths. Conclusions: Our study shows the delivery of SACT through the COVID-19 pandemic is relatively safe with low COVID-related mortality rate. It also reflects how we tailored the delivery of anti-cancer treatments to reduce the possible detrimental myelo-suppressive toxicities that could potentially put GI patients at higher risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is crucial data that can inform anti-cancer treatment decision making during the protracted COVID-19 pandemic.