IntroductionCOVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected patients’ access to healthcare, including management of cancer patients. Although for early-stage lung cancer surgical treatment is the preferred management option, availability of operating theatres and hospital beds has been reduced during the pandemic. In Estonia, the absolute number of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases per year has remained stable during last decades. However, the number of lung cancer operations has been steadily increasing, with thoracoscopic approach (VATS) applied more often.The aim of the current study was to compare the amount of lung cancer operations performed before and during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate its impact on cancer surgery.MethodsAll patients in Estonia who underwent a lung cancer operation with radical intent during 2018-2021 were included. Data were obtained from all hospitals performing lung cancer surgery. Operations performed before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (years 2018-2019) were considered baseline and compared to operations performed during the first years of the pandemic (2020-2021).ResultsComparing the two study periods, the number of surgically treated female lung cancer patients increased, yet other demographic characteristics of study patients, cancer stage and distribution of morphological types did not considerably differ in the two study periods. The overall number of lung cancer operations increased, with more operations performed by VATS in the second study period. Also, the number of more technically demanding operations increased (e.g. segmentectomies and bronchial sleeve resections, incl. few cases of sleeve lobectomies performed by VATS).ConclusionsConsidering the stable number of yearly diagnosed lung cancer, we can conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a considerable impact on the amount and evolution of surgical treatment of lung cancer in Estonia, as the number of operations performed even continued to increase, as did the proportion of operations performed by VATS.KeywordsLung cancer, Surgery, Covid-19 IntroductionCOVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected patients’ access to healthcare, including management of cancer patients. Although for early-stage lung cancer surgical treatment is the preferred management option, availability of operating theatres and hospital beds has been reduced during the pandemic. In Estonia, the absolute number of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases per year has remained stable during last decades. However, the number of lung cancer operations has been steadily increasing, with thoracoscopic approach (VATS) applied more often.The aim of the current study was to compare the amount of lung cancer operations performed before and during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate its impact on cancer surgery. COVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected patients’ access to healthcare, including management of cancer patients. Although for early-stage lung cancer surgical treatment is the preferred management option, availability of operating theatres and hospital beds has been reduced during the pandemic. In Estonia, the absolute number of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases per year has remained stable during last decades. However, the number of lung cancer operations has been steadily increasing, with thoracoscopic approach (VATS) applied more often.The aim of the current study was to compare the amount of lung cancer operations performed before and during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate its impact on cancer surgery. MethodsAll patients in Estonia who underwent a lung cancer operation with radical intent during 2018-2021 were included. Data were obtained from all hospitals performing lung cancer surgery. Operations performed before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (years 2018-2019) were considered baseline and compared to operations performed during the first years of the pandemic (2020-2021). All patients in Estonia who underwent a lung cancer operation with radical intent during 2018-2021 were included. Data were obtained from all hospitals performing lung cancer surgery. Operations performed before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (years 2018-2019) were considered baseline and compared to operations performed during the first years of the pandemic (2020-2021). ResultsComparing the two study periods, the number of surgically treated female lung cancer patients increased, yet other demographic characteristics of study patients, cancer stage and distribution of morphological types did not considerably differ in the two study periods. The overall number of lung cancer operations increased, with more operations performed by VATS in the second study period. Also, the number of more technically demanding operations increased (e.g. segmentectomies and bronchial sleeve resections, incl. few cases of sleeve lobectomies performed by VATS). Comparing the two study periods, the number of surgically treated female lung cancer patients increased, yet other demographic characteristics of study patients, cancer stage and distribution of morphological types did not considerably differ in the two study periods. The overall number of lung cancer operations increased, with more operations performed by VATS in the second study period. Also, the number of more technically demanding operations increased (e.g. segmentectomies and bronchial sleeve resections, incl. few cases of sleeve lobectomies performed by VATS). ConclusionsConsidering the stable number of yearly diagnosed lung cancer, we can conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a considerable impact on the amount and evolution of surgical treatment of lung cancer in Estonia, as the number of operations performed even continued to increase, as did the proportion of operations performed by VATS. Considering the stable number of yearly diagnosed lung cancer, we can conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a considerable impact on the amount and evolution of surgical treatment of lung cancer in Estonia, as the number of operations performed even continued to increase, as did the proportion of operations performed by VATS.