582 Head & Neck Skin Cancer Figures 2020 – in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
S Sawhney, T Kwaskowski, R Gower, S Mumtaz, C Jefferies- Surgery
Abstract
Aim
COVID-19 had a profound effect on the healthcare system in the United Kingdom, in particular the diagnosis of cancer. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the diagnosis of early-stage cancer in England fell by 33%.
The aim of our analysis was to assess the impact of the pandemic on the head and neck skin cancer (HNSC) pathway by assessing the number of patients treated by our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) department.
Method
Treated cases were retrospectively totalled each month and then analysed to produce time-series data that reflects the impact COVID-19 on the treatment of HNSC.
Results
In 2020, a total of 273 cases of HNSC were treated in our OMFS department. Between January and March 2020, the average number of HNSC cases treated monthly was 34. This dropped to 2 cases in April 2020, which corresponds with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between May and August, the number of treated cases peaked at 16 in the months of July and August, with an average of 10 cases treated per month. Between September and December, the number of treated cases recovered to an average of 30 per month.
Conclusions
Our data shows the significant impact COVID-19 had on the number of treated cases of HNSC within our OMFS department. Further long-term and multi-site studies may reveal the wider impact that this has had on patient outcomes and the healthcare system.