Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37335423›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023

Patients' experiences undergoing cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Makena Pook, Tahereh Najafi, Maxime Lapointe-Gagner, Philip Nguyen-Powanda, Hiba Elhaj, Fateme Rajabiyazdi, Pepa Kaneva, Lawrence Lee, Liane S Feldman, Julio F Fiore

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Makena PookDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Tahereh NajafiCentre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, H3G 1A4, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Maxime Lapointe-GagnerDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Philip Nguyen-PowandaDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Hiba ElhajSteinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Fateme RajabiyazdiDepartment of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Pepa KanevaSteinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Lawrence LeeDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Liane S FeldmanDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Julio F FioreDivision of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. julio.fiorejunior@mcgill.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aimed to understand patients' experiences undergoing cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to COVID-19, many elective cancer surgeries were delayed creating a massive backlog of cases. Patients' experiences with surgical delays may inform healthcare systems' responses to the backlog of cases and guide preparations for future healthcare emergencies.

methodsThis was a qualitative description study. Patients undergoing general surgery for cancer at two university-affiliated hospitals between March 2020 and January 2021 were invited to one-to-one interviews. Patients were purposefully selected using quota sampling until interviews produced no new information (i.e., thematic saturation). Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guide and analyzed according to inductive thematic analysis.

resultsTwenty patients were included [mean age 64 ± 12.9; male (n = 10); surgical delay (n = 14); cancer sites: breast (n = 8), skin (n = 4), hepato-pancreato-biliary (n = 4), colorectal (n = 2), and gastro-esophageal (n = 2)]. When determining their willingness to undergo surgery, patients weighed the risk of COVID-19 infection against the urgency of their disease. Changes to the hospital environment (e.g., COVID-19 preventative measures) and deviations from expected treatment (e.g., alternative treatments, remote consultations, rescheduled care) caused diverse psychological responses, ranging from increased satisfaction to severe distress. Patients employed several coping strategies to mitigate distress, including eliciting reassurance from care providers, seeking information from unconventional sources, and reframing care interruptions.

conclusionsChanges in care during the pandemic elicited diverse psychological responses from patients undergoing cancer surgery. Coping was facilitated by consistent communication with providers, emphasizing the importance of patient-centered expectation setting as we prepare for the future within and beyond the pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19NeoplasmsAdaptation, PsychologicalAgedBreastHospitals, UniversityHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsCancerCOVID-19General surgeryPatient-centered careQualitative analysisSurgical oncology

Identifiers

PMID37335423

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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.