The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the diagnosis of head and neck cancer at the University Hospital of Brasília

Abstract

During the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there was a decrease in the number of consultations in the health system, thus reducing diagnostic tests in general due to social distancing measures and limitations faced by health services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of head and neck cancer (HNC) in patients treated at the High Complexity Oncology Unit (UNACON) of the University Hospital of Brasília (HUB). Methodology: Retrospective study, based on document analysis of the medical records of 152 patients diagnosed with head and neck malignant neoplasms, from March 2019 to February 2021. Results: This study showed that there was no reduction in the number of diagnoses of the disease, as well as there was no increase in the interval for performing these procedures, in the year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to the year that preceded. Conclusion: despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictive measures of circulation, there was no negative impact on the time interval for diagnosis of HCN in the HUB, specifically oral cancer, possibly due to the continuity in the services, even in the most critical periods of the pandemic.