EFFECT OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON PANCREATIC CANCER SURGERY

Abstract

Abstract Aim: The chaos experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the treatments of pancreatic cancer patients; both the ones who were newly diagnosed and the ones who had ongoing treatments. It also caused delays in the diagnosis of pancreas tumors and thus changes in the treatments which would be planned. For these reasons, more problems might arise in patients who had pancreatic surgeries during this interval. In this study, we aim to compare postoperative morbidity and mortality of patients who had pancreatic surgery due to diagnosis or suspect of cancer before and during Covid-19 pandemic. Material and Method: Data of patients who had pancreatic surgery due to pancreas cancer between 2017-2022 were recorded prospectively. A total of 226 patients were included. There were 142 patients in Pre-Covid group, and 84 patients with pancreas cancer in the Post-Covid group. Patients who were accepted as inoperative during surgery or the ones who had palliative surgery were excluded. Results: Preoperative biliary stent or percutaneous biliary drainage procedures were compared in patients with pancreatic cancers and these were performed more often in Post-Covid group than in Pre-Covid group during pandemic period. Biliary drainage was performed to 31 patients in Pre-Covid group (28.1%), and 32 (46.3%) patients in Post-Covid group (p=0.013). Five patients (3.5%) in Pre-Covid group, 15 patients (17.8%) in Post-Covid group had neoadjuvant therapy (p=0.000). Patients in Post-Covid group had significantly more neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Vascular resection was performed for 14 patients (9.8%) in Pre-Covid group, and 16 (19%) patients in Post-Covid group. Rate of vascular resection was significantly higher in Post-Covid group (p=0.049). Nine (6.3%) patients in Pre-Covid group, and 12 (14.2%) patients in Post-Covid group had extra-organ resection. Extra-organ resection was significantly higher in Post-Covid group than in Pre-Covid group (p=0.047).