RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Increase in lung cancer emergency presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP PA3848
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA3848
VO 58
IS suppl 65
A1 Vella, Claire
A1 Ashraf, Asif
A1 Sudhir, Rajini
A1 Pinglay, Prajakta
A1 Das, Indrajeet
A1 Chowdhry, Mohammed Fiyaz
A1 Nakas, Apostolos
A1 Richards, Cathy
A1 Thiagarajan, Sridhar
A1 Panchal, Rakesh
A1 Ahmed, Samreen
A1 Agrawal, Sanjay
A1 Tufail, Muhammad
A1 Bennett, Jonathan
YR 2021
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3848.abstract
AB Emergency presentation (EP) of lung cancer is associated with advanced stage, age and frailty and is a negative predictor of survival and high healthcare costs. There have been significant changes in primary and secondary care services during COVID-19 pandemic and the “stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS” message during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted healthcare seeking behaviour. We aim to determine the pandemic's effect on emergency presentations of lung cancer.Method: Data was retrieved from our trust cancer database for six months before the first COVID-19 lockdown in England (23/09/19–22/03/20) and six months after (23/03/20–22/09/20). EP of lung cancer was defined as new diagnosis of new lung cancer after emergency department or acute medical unit attendance.Data was analysed for patient characteristics and presentation route. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results: 291 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer in the 6 months prior to COVID-19 lockdown and 271 post-lockdown. Table 1 shows a significantly increased EP from 64 to 86 patients post-lockdown together with a significant increase in hospital versus primary care referrals to the lung cancer service. Pre-lockdownPost-lockdownNo of patients291271Mean age72.373.6M:F162:129150:121Advanced stage (IIIB-IVB)173184p=.033Emergency presentations6486p=.009Referral source: Hospital:primary care168:123182:89p=.021Conclusion: We demonstrate increased lung cancer EP after first COVID-19 lockdown. We believe this may be related to altered primary care service, patients not wanting to access healthcare ‘unnecessarily’ and thus not presenting until symptoms trigger emergency admission.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3848.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).