FIRST YEAR OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INFLUENCE ON BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS IN ONE SINGLE ACADEMIC UROLOGICAL CENTER FROM NORTH-EASTERN ROMANIA

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation who made health systems to reorganize their resources and redeploy staff away from routine diagnostic, treatment and follow‐up services. Material and methods: have studied retrospective the medical files of bladder cancer patients referred to our clinic between 1st of March 2019- 28 of February 2020 (group A) compared with those referred between 1st of March 2020- 1st of March 2021 (group B). A total of 640 patients were included, 486 (75.94%) males and 154 (24.06%) females, aged between 22 and 92 years, with a mean age of 69.12 years (SD+/-9.62). Group A had 408 (63.75%) patients while group B 232 (36.25%). Results: We have noticed that anemia was significantly more often in group B (p=0.032), this has led to a higher necessity of preoperative blood transfusion (p=0.039) but with no differences regarding inflammatory syndrome or kidney failure incidence. Also, the hospitalization period (p=0.001) and the time from admission to surgery have been significantly shorter in group B (p=0.05). Conclusions: By trying to avoid hospitalization many patients are admitted with a poorer biological status. In addition, many bladder cancer cases will go undetected and untreated and once the pandemic has passed, we will face an excess in cancer-related mortality.