When Covid-19 pandemic came and the lockdown was announced, everything came to a standstill. There were apprehension and fear in the atmosphere. Non-Covid services came to a halt in hospitals to accommodate the expected huge rush of Covid patients. Cancer patients had a particularly tough time. It was a very difficult time for cancer specialists and cancer patients alike. After initial hiccoughs, Radiation Oncologists like me started coming to the hospital regularly with all due precautions. While working in OPD wearing PPE kits was not mandatory, we used to wear N95 masks, gloves, OT dress, Cap, face shield, and shoe cover to keep ourselves safe from getting exposed to Covid-19. An extra plastic shield was erected in front of our working desk to give us further protection.
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CANCER PATIENTS
Patients who had cancer and were undergoing treatment continued with added precautions as discontinuing cancer treatment is riskier. Treatments were modified to make them less intense; radiotherapy schedules were reworked to reduce exposure and the number of visits to the hospital. Some patients who before radiation or during treatment got Covid-19 required a break in treatment. Majority recovered but few, unfortunately, lost the battle to Covid.
Surgeries were modified to reduce anaesthesia time. Plastic reconstruction was significantly reduced or modified.
Chemotherapy schedules were modified to make them less immunocompromising and reduce hospital visits.
The pandemic impacted the patients who had symptoms of cancer and suspected cancer. They avoided hospital visits and their diagnosis got delayed. Patients with early-stage cancer progressed to advanced stages thus reducing their cure rates and increasing the duration and cost of treatment.
In terms of cancer patients on follow up during the pandemic, most of them had followed up online with video consultation and were able to sail through comfortably. Besides this, the treatment of a few patients, who had a recurrence, got delayed. It occurred owing to travel restriction and fear of contracting covid in a hospital.
The fear of existing covid patients in a hospital was a big concern for many cancer patients and their caregivers. They believed that by visiting a hospital which already has covid patients might expose them to the virus. This was the main factor which caused problems like delay in diagnosis, treatment, follow up, and investigation. However, the situation is coming back to normalcy gradually.
The writer is Director, Radiation Oncology, Max Hospital Vaishali and Patparganj.