Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36600813›Full record

ArticleCureus2022

Impact of COVID-19 on the Mode of Presentation and Stage at Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer.

Mahmoud Alrahawy, Charles Johnson, Medhet Aker, Hazim A Eltyeb, Susan Green

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Mahmoud AlrahawyDepartment of General Surgery, Menoufia University, Menoufia, EGY.
Charles JohnsonGeneral and Colorectal Surgery, Durham University Hospital, Durham, GBR.
Medhet AkerGeneral and Colorectal Surgery, Colchester Hospital University, Colchester, GBR.
Hazim A EltyebGeneral Surgery, Health Education North East, Newcastle, GBR.
Susan GreenGeneral and Colorectal Surgery, Durham University Hospital, Durham, GBR.
Colchester Hospital · GBUniversity Hospital of North Durham · GBHealth Education North West · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThis study compares the stage at the presentation of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) before and after introducing COVID-19 restrictions and the mode of presentation.

methodsThis is a retrospective cohort study comparing the incidence of CRC, TNM stage and mode of presentation in the pre-COVID and COVID cohorts at a single UK Trust. All patients discussed at the CRC multidisciplinary team (MDT) from March 2017 to March 2021 were included and split into two cohorts; the pre-COVID group from 01/03/2017 to 29/02/2020 and the COVID group from 01/03/2020 to 28/02/2021. Percentages were used for descriptive statistics. Student's t-test was used for the comparison of demographic variables. Chi-squared test was used for the difference analysis for the categorical data, such as TNM and mode of presentation. P value ≤0.05 was significant.

resultsIn total, 1373 patients were diagnosed with CRC during the period from March 2017 to March 2021. The pre-COVID group (2017-2020) included 1104 CRC patients, compared to 269 patients in the COVID one (2020-2021). The mean age was higher in the pre-COVID group (p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of cases presenting with T4 disease (p = 0.023) and metastatic disease (p = 0.032) in the COVID group compared to the pre-COVID group. There was also a significant increase in the rate of emergency presentations (p < 0.0001).

conclusionWe observed a statistically significant increase in rates of locally advanced (T4) and metastatic (distant) CRC in patients presenting after introducing the COVID-19 lockdown. There was also an increase in emergency presentations. There was no observed difference in nodal status. This may reflect disruption to cancer diagnostic services and the reluctance of patients to access medical care during a pandemic, particularly the elderly.

Indexed as

colorectal cancer (crc)coronaviruscovid-19emergency presentationstaging

Identifiers

PMID36600813
PMCPMC9801339
OpenAlexW4310376437

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.