Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39941734›Full record

ArticleCancers2025

Shorter Time to Biopsy of Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hungary.

Éva Szabó, Eszter Kopjár, László Rumi, Szabolcs Bellyei, Antal Zemplényi, Emese Mátyus, Eszter Édes, János Girán, István Kiss, István Szanyi and 1 more

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Article in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Éva SzabóDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Munkácsy M. Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary.
Eszter KopjárDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Munkácsy M. Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-8360-1607
László RumiUrology Clinic, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Munkácsy Mihaly Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary.
Szabolcs BellyeiDepartment of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Édesanyák Street 17, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
Antal ZemplényiCenter for Health Technology Assessment and Pharmacoeconomics Research, University of Pécs Faculty of Pharmacy, Rákóczi Street 2, 7623 Pécs, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-0177-0264
Emese MátyusDepartment of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Édesanyák Street 17, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
Eszter ÉdesDepartment of Oncotherapy, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Édesanyák Street 17, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
János GiránDepartment of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-4309-0013
István KissDepartment of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
István SzanyiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Munkácsy M. Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary.
Éva PozsgaiDepartment of Public Health Medicine, University of Pécs Medical School, Szigeti Street 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.

Funding

János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences 2022 (no award/grant number)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesThe goal of this investigation was to compare the time to biopsy (TBI) and time to treatment (TTI) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the effect of demographic and clinical characteristics on these intervals.

methodsOur retrospective study at a large regional Hungarian cancer center analyzed data from patients aged 18 or older diagnosed with HNSCC between 1 January 2017 and 15 March 2020 (pre-COVID-19 period) and 16 March 2020 to 13 May 2021 (COVID-19 period). We calculated the time from initial physician contact to biopsy (TBI) and from biopsy to treatment initiation (TTI) and performed descriptive and exploratory statistical analyses.

resultsThe median TBI decreased significantly (6 vs. 3 days;

conclusionsOur study, one of a few from this region, provides insights into HNSCC patient waiting times. Improvement in TBI likely resulted from the availability of telemedicine, reduced diagnostic demands from non-cancer patients, and an increased incidence of oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer among rural patients.

Indexed as

COVID-19delayhead and neck squamous cell carcinomatime to biopsytime to treatmentwaiting time

Identifiers

PMID39941734
PMCPMC11815749

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