Vol 74, No 4 (2024)
Research paper (original)
Published online: 2024-09-02
Breast cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic — a patient’s perspective
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, 2, 3, 4
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DOI: 10.5603/njo.99523
Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology 2024;74(4):241-253.
Abstract
Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on healthcare. The aim of the study was to assess how factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic were perceived by breast cancer patients during their anticancer treatment.
Material and methods. The study was carried out on 154 breast cancer patients. A questionnaire prepared specifically for this analysis was used.
Results. The duration of the cancer diagnosis was the same both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 42.9% of the respondents stated that they waited longer for a visit/examination than before the pandemic. Some patients were proposed a teleconsultation and over half of them were not satisfied with this; most patients claimed that this could have been a good alternative only when they began to feel better.
Conclusions. Breast cancer patients treated during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced some inconveniences and were afraid that the pandemic would have a negative impact on their treatment’s outcome.
Keywords: breast cancerCOVID-19anticancer treatmentvaccinationteleconsultations
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