The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the breast cancer diagnosis process

Abstract

Purpose: The primary aim of thşis study was to evaluate difference in the number of patients with tru-cut biopsies to diagnose breast lesions between non-pandemic and pandemic periods. 
 Materials and Methods: In this study, the nonpandemic period and the pandemic period were compared, the periods for the pandemic times, between March 1, 2018, and 29 February 2020, and for the nonpandemic period, 1 March 2020 to 12 March 2022 to 12 March 2022. In each period, we have included all the tru-cut biopsies for suspected breast cancer. During the pandemic and non-pandemic period, the number of tru-cut biopsies BI-RADS and histopathological findings of the patients who experienced tru-cut biopsies were compared.
 Results: The number of tru-cut biopsies performed during the nonpandemic and pandemic period was similar (1596, 1599). In the pandemic period, tru-cut biopsy histopathologic reports revealed that benign and high-risk cases decreased statistically, while invasive carcinoma cases increased by 1.9 (95% CI 1.6-2.2) times. During the pandemic period, US-guided BI-RADS 3 and BI-RADS 4a cases decreased statistically significantly, BBI-RADS 4b cases increased 1.4 (95% CI 1.1-2.2) times, BI-RADS 4c cases 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.2), BI-RADS 5 cases increased 2.1 (95% CI 1.4-3.1) times
 Conclusion: There was no significant change in tru-cut biopsy numbers compared to the period of the pandemic and the non-pandemic period. However, the stage of the cancers captured during the period of the pandemic was higher.