Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34035961›Full record

ArticleRadiology research and practice2021

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiotherapy Supply.

Francesco Tramacere, Artor Niccoli Asabella, Maurizio Portaluri, Corinna Altini, Cristina Ferrari, Lilia Bardoscia, Angela Sardaro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Radiology research and practice, 2021. 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
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

7 authors.

Francesco TramacereRadiation Oncology, Department of Radiotherapy, O. Policlinic "A. Perrino", Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, Italy.
Artor Niccoli AsabellaNuclear Medicine Unit, A. O. Policlinic "A. Perrino", Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, Italy.
Maurizio PortaluriRadiation Oncology, Department of Radiotherapy, O. Policlinic "A. Perrino", Strada Statale 7 per Mesagne, Brindisi 72100, Italy.
Corinna AltiniNuclear Medicine Unit, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8949-2405
Cristina FerrariNuclear Medicine Unit, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, Italy.
Lilia BardosciaRadiotherapy Unit, Clinical Cancer Centre, AUSL-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Angela SardaroSection of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari 70124, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe impetuous entrance of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy in March 2020, after the onset and diffusion in China, found the health system widely unfit to face the large amount of infected patients. The matter of this investigation was to evaluate how pandemic fear and guidelines for limiting the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 virus could have impacted the regular supply of radiotherapy (RT) and the outcome of the treatments. MATERIALS AND

methodsFrom March 9, 2020, to May 29, 2020, a register has been established to record patients that cancelled or postponed the RT appointment. The reasons were as follows: (1) patients whose appointments were postponed by the staff according to national guidelines; (2) patients who asked themselves to postpone the appointment; (3) patients who interrupted the treatment for causes directly or indirectly related to the pandemic; (4) patients who cancelled their care path.

resultsA total number of 277 patients started regular RT, and 384 respected their computed tomography (CT) simulation appointment, but 60 of them had alteration of their therapeutic pathway. Among these, 18 cancelled their appointment. 42 patients asked to postpone their procedure. Twenty-seven out of 42 adduced directly or indirectly SARS-CoV-2 infection-related reasons.

conclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic affected the regular RT delivery to oncologic patients, owing to the delay or cancellation of procedures with the likely effect to observe worsening of local disease control and reduced survival rates in the future.

Identifiers

PMID34035961
PMCPMC8118736

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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 OpenQuestion graph.