Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40032678›Full record

ArticleSurgery today2025

Changes in surgical versus nonsurgical treatments for gastrointestinal cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide analysis in Japan.

Ryo Seishima, Taizo Hibi, Masashi Takeuchi, Yusuke Takemura, Hiromichi Maeda, Masahiro Kondo, Shoko Ukita, Ryusei Kimura, Akinobu Taketomi, Yoshihiro Kakeji and 5 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgery today, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

15 authors.

Ryo SeishimaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Taizo HibiDepartment of Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto, 860-8582, Japan. taizohibi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6867-228X
Masashi TakeuchiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Yusuke TakemuraDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Hiromichi MaedaDepartment of Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
Masahiro KondoBiostatistics Unit, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Shoko UkitaBiostatistics Unit, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Ryusei KimuraBiostatistics Unit, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Akinobu TaketomiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Yoshihiro KakejiDatabase Committee, The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery, Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuyuki SetoNational Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
Hideki UenoDatabase Committee, The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery, Tokyo, Japan.
Masaki MoriTokai University, Isehara, 259-1292, Japan.
Ken ShirabeDepartment of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan.
Yuko KitagawaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.

Funding

MHLW Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and Immunization JPMH23HA2011MHLW Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and Immunization JPMH24HA2015
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment landscape of gastrointestinal cancers in Japan, focusing on the use of nonsurgical treatments.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide insurance database and analyzed data for esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers treated between July, 2019 and December, 2020. We calculated the surgical-to-nonsurgical-treatment ratio (SNR) for each type of cancer during the pandemic and defined April, 2020 as the pandemic onset. We used regression discontinuity designs to assess changes in the SNR.

resultsA total of 31,169 cases were included. At the pandemic onset, the SNR decreased for gastric, colon, rectal, and liver cancers, indicating a shift toward nonsurgical treatments. Thereafter, these cancers showed a gradual increase in the SNR, returning to pre-pandemic levels. Notably, esophageal cancer showed an increase in the SNR at the pandemic onset, whereas pancreatic cancer showed no significant changes during the study period.

conclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decrease in gastrointestinal cancer surgeries in Japan, prompting a temporary shift toward nonsurgical treatments. However, most cancers showed a gradual recovery in the SNR, highlighting the resilience of the healthcare system.

Indexed as

COVID-19Digestive System Surgical ProceduresGastrointestinal NeoplasmsAgedCohort StudiesDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansJapanMaleMiddle AgedPancreatic NeoplasmsPandemicsRetrospective StudiesCancerCOVID-19Gastrointestinal cancerJapanPandemic

Identifiers

PMID40032678

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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.