ArticleThe oncologist2022
Alarming Drop in Early Stage Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses After COVID-19 Outbreak: A Real-World Analysis from the Italian COVID-DELAY Study.
Article in The oncologist, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quantifying the impact of treatment delays on breast cancer survival outcomes: a comprehensive meta-analysis.GeroScience · 2026Pooled it
- The multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer care: a systematic review of management disruptions, stage migration, and survival outcomes.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Treatment delay significantly increases mortality in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.GeroScience · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of the Sars-Cov-2 outbreak on the initial clinical presentation of new solid cancer diagnoses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC cancer · 2024Pooled it
- Article
- Negative Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Gastric Cancer Care in Japan: A Tokushukai Real-World Data Project 08 (TREAD 08).JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2025Article
- Changes in clinical presentation, management, and survival outcomes in patients affected by colorectal cancer following COVID-19 pandemic.The oncologist · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gut Cancer Admissions and Management: A Comparative Study of Two Pandemic Years to a Similar Pre-Pandemic Period.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients' consultation and diagnosis.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Presentation at a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center and a Safety-Net Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Medical research archives · 2024Article
- Effect of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on colorectal cancer diagnosis and prognosis.Cancer medicine · 2024Article
- Growing Deficit in New Cancer Diagnoses 2 Years Into the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Multicenter Study.Annals of surgical oncology · 2023Article
- Article
- Article
- Clinical efficacy of the first two doses of anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in solid cancer patients.Cancer medicine · 2023Observational
- Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on Colorectal Cancer Presentation, Management and Outcome during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on endoscopy and cancer screening: a focus on access and equity.Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology · 2023Review
- Identification of ZBTB9 as a potential therapeutic target against dysregulation of tumor cells proliferation and a novel biomarker in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of translational medicine · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
23 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered the disruption of health care on a global scale. With Italy tangled up in the pandemic response, oncology care has been largely diverted and cancer screenings suspended. Our multicenter Italian study aimed to evaluate whether COVID-19 has impacted access to diagnosis, staging, and treatment for patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC), compared with pre-pandemic time.
methodsAll consecutive new CRC patients referred to 8 Italian oncology institutions between March and December 2020 were included. Access rate and temporal intervals between date of symptoms onset, radiological and cytohistological diagnosis, treatment start and first radiological evaluation were analyzed and compared with the same months of 2019.
resultsA reduction (29%) in newly diagnosed CRC cases was seen when compared with 2019 (360 vs 506). New CRC patients in 2020 were less likely to be diagnosed with early stage (stages I-II-III) CRC (63% vs 78%, P < .01). Gender and sidedness were similar regardless of the year. The percentage of tumors with any mutation among BRAF, NRAS, and KRAS genes were significantly different between the 2 years (61% in 2020 vs 50% in 2019, P = .04). Timing of access to cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment for patients with CRC has not been negatively affected by the pandemic. Significantly shorter temporal intervals were observed between symptom onset and first oncological appointment (69 vs 79 days, P = .01) and between histological diagnosis and first oncological appointment (34 vs 42 days, P < .01) during 2020 compared with 2019. Fewer CRC cases were discussed in multidisciplinary meetings during 2020 (38% vs 50%, P = .01).
conclusionsOur data highlight a significant drop in CRC diagnosis after COVID-19, especially for early stage disease. The study also reveals a remarkable setback in the multidisciplinary management of patients with CRC. Despite this, Italian oncologists were able to ensure diagnostic-therapeutic pathways proper operation after March 2020.
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