Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38715074›Full record

ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2024

Breast cancer incidence, stage distribution, and treatment shifts during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide population-level study.

Hanna M Peacock, Lien van Walle, Geert Silversmit, Patrick Neven, Sileny N Han, Nancy Van Damme

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Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hanna M Peacock *Research Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Koningsstraat 215 bus 7, Brussels, 1210, Belgium.
Lien van Walle *Research Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Koningsstraat 215 bus 7, Brussels, 1210, Belgium.
Geert SilversmitResearch Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Koningsstraat 215 bus 7, Brussels, 1210, Belgium.
Patrick NevenDepartment of Gynecological Oncology and Multidisciplinary Breast Centre, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Sileny N HanDepartment of Gynecological Oncology and Multidisciplinary Breast Centre, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Nancy Van DammeResearch Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Koningsstraat 215 bus 7, Brussels, 1210, Belgium. Nancy.Vandamme@kankerregister.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe first COVID-19 wave in 2020 necessitated temporary suspension of non-essential medical services including organized cancer screening programs in Belgium. This study assessed the impact of the pandemic on breast cancer (BC) incidence, stage at diagnosis, and management in Belgium in 2020.

methodsAll Belgian residents diagnosed with in situ or invasive BC in 2015-2020 in the nationwide, population-based cancer registry database were included. Incidence trends for 2015-2019 were extrapolated to predict incidence and stage distribution for 2020 and compared with the observed values. National healthcare reimbursement data were used to examine treatment strategies. Exact tumor diameter and nodal involvement, extracted from pathology reports, were analyzed for 2019 and 2020.

results74,975 tumors were selected for analysis of incidence and clinical stage. Invasive BC incidence declined by -5.0% in 2020, with a drop during the first COVID-19 wave (Mar-Jun; -23%) followed by a rebound (Jul-Dec; +7%). Predicted and observed incidence (in situ + invasive) was not different in patients < 50 years. In the 50-69 and 70 + age groups, significant declines of -4.1% and - 8.4% respectively were found. Excess declines were seen in clinical stage 0 and I in Mar-Jun, without excess increases in clinical stage II-IV tumors in Jul-Dec. There was no increase in average tumor diameter or nodal involvement in 2020. Patients diagnosed in Mar-Jun received significantly more neoadjuvant therapy, particularly neoadjuvant hormonal therapy for patients with clinical stage I-II BC.

conclusionsBC incidence decline in 2020 in Belgium was largely restricted to very early-stage BC and patients aged 50 and over. Delayed diagnosis did not result in an overall progression to higher stage at diagnosis in 2020. Observed treatment adaptations in Belgium were successful in prioritizing patients for surgery while preventing tumor progression in those with surgical delay. Continuation of monitoring BC incidence and stage in the future is crucial.

Indexed as

Breast CancerCancer RegistryCOVID-19 pandemicDiagnostic DelayNational HealthcarePopulation-based dataTNM Stage

Identifiers

PMID38715074
PMCPMC11075279

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.