Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer actions in a Brazilian state.
Paula Danniele Dos Santos Dias, Mary Elizabeth de Santana, Vera Lúcia de Azevedo Lima
PMID 39083831WHAT IT FOUND
No overall pandemic interference with breast cancer actions was reported, but diagnostic mammograms fell 38.7%, and 66.13% of pandemic-period treatments started after 60 days.
Key findings
01No overall pandemic interference with breast cancer health actions was reported when p values were considered.
02Diagnostic mammograms fell by 38.7% from the pre-pandemic to pandemic period, while screening mammograms rose by 3.7%.
03Treatment initiation differed significantly between periods, and 66.13% of treatments were initiated after 60 days.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data came from administrative records that are constantly updated, and the authors noted they can provide divergent counts. The oncology panel was only available from May 2019, so pre-pandemic comparison required manual verification. The study reports counts and time intervals, not individual patients' stage, survival, or treatment outcomes. It cannot show why counts changed or prove that pandemic measures caused them. The conclusion of no interference was based on aggregate comparisons, while specific diagnostic and treatment timeliness results were negative.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the overall no interference conclusion as evidence that breast cancer care was timely. Diagnostic mammograms fell 38.7%, and 66.13% of pandemic-period treatments started after 60 days.