Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Stage: A Single-Institute Study in South Korea

Moonki Hong, Mingee Choi, Jihyun Lee, Kyoo Hyun Kim, Hyunwook Kim, Choong Kun Lee, Hyo Song Kim, Sun Young Rha, Gyu Young Pih, Yoon Jin Choi, Da Hyun Jung, Jun Chul Park, Sung Kwan Shin, Sang Kil Lee, Yong Chan Lee, Minah Cho, Yoo Min Kim, Hyoung Il Kim, Jae Ho Cheong, Woo Jin HyungJaeyong Shin, Minkyu Jung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most prevalent and fatal cancers worldwide. National cancer screening programs in countries with high incidences of this disease provide medical aid beneficiaries with free-of-charge screening involving upper endoscopy to detect early-stage GC. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine healthcare access. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis, overall incidence, and stage distribution of GC. Materials and Methods: We identified patients in our hospital cancer registry who were diagnosed with GC between January 2018 and December 2021 and compared the cancer stage at diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age and sex. The years 2018 and 2019 were defined as the “before COVID” period, and the years 2020 and 2021 as the “during COVID” period. Results: Overall, 10,875 patients were evaluated; 6,535 and 4,340 patients were diagnosed before and during the COVID-19 period, respectively. The number of diagnoses was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (189 patients/month vs. 264 patients/month) than before it. Notably, the proportion of patients with stages 3 or 4 GC in 2021 was higher among men and patients aged ≥40 years. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall number of GC diagnoses decreased significantly in a single institute. Moreover, GCs were in more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the detection of GC worldwide.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)574-583
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Gastric Cancer
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023 Oct

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. Korean Gastric Cancer Association.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Oncology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Stage: A Single-Institute Study in South Korea'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this