Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult to maintain good accessibility to ongoing comprehensive oncological care, and thus the quality of life of patients. An international team of researchers focused their survey among oncologists on how the pandemic affects the goals of 3rd line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in real clinical practice. The survey results were presented at this year's virtual congress on the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors of the European Society for Clinical Oncology (ESMO).
Research Methodology
A panel of gastrointestinal oncology experts designed the SCOPE COVID-19 questionnaire to assess the impact of the pandemic on therapeutic goals in patients with mCRC treated in the 3rd line and compare them with everyday practice before the pandemic began.
The survey was conducted online from October 2020 to January 2021, with 228 respondents (89% of whom were clinical oncologists) from 14 countries, mostly European. 49% of respondents worked in university hospitals, and most (53%) cared for 10−29 patients with mCRC per month.
Survey Results
Several changes were observed in the treatment system – the most common was the reduction of hospital visits (83% of respondents), increased use of virtual consultations and telemedicine (82%), more frequent prescriptions of oral medications compared to intravenous ones (73%), and more frequent checks conducted closer to the patient's home (73%).
The therapeutic goals in the 3rd line remained similar to those before the pandemic – the most common primary goal was to maintain the quality of life (36% of respondents), while 42% of participants reported goals focused on the efficacy of therapy, such as prolonging overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
93% of oncologists noted that their treatment decisions would be influenced by the pandemic over the next year, and 40% believe that changes to existing protocols introduced by the pandemic will last for at least another year. 86% of respondents estimate a return to normalcy for initial visits of new patients. 83% of participants expect increased use of telemedicine and reduced hospital visit frequency for patients continuing treatment.
Conclusion
The main therapeutic goals for patients with mCRC remained the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trends observed in relation to the pandemic suggest a need for continued investment in the development of all aspects of digital medicine.
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Source: Prager G., Kohne C., O’Connor J. et al. SO-1 The impact of COVID-19 on daily practice patterns in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: results of a real-world survey. Ann Oncol 2021; 32 (Suppl. 3): S202, doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.05.025.
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