Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer treatment: chemotherapy and endocrine therapy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i7.29906

Keywords:

Covid-19; Breast neoplasms; Drug therapy ; Health teaching.

Abstract

This study has as its objective analyze changes in the administration of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in breast cancer, regarding the new protocols created during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic literature review was performed by searching the PubMed database. Studies that analyzed the new protocols in the treatment of breast cancer and discussed their functionality were included, as well as those that observed individual interventions carried out by health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The systematic search resulted in 363 articles and 41 met all the inclusion criteria, which involve keywords, stipulated time and database, and do not involve language limits. The discarded articles included case reports, content about oncological surgeries, other types of cancer and treatments, and emotional and psychosocial aspects of doctors and patients. Most studies showed adaptations in the treatment of breast cancer during the pandemic, as professionals noted the need to avoid patients going to hospitals and staying there for a long period of time, in order to prevent the contagion by Sars-CoV-2. The principle of the choices was to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy and to prefer treatments with a lower risk of infection and myelosuppression, in cases of options with similar efficacy. By exploring different experiences of each author, it is possible to note the scientific progress and discoveries that this pandemic period brought to medical society, as well as the legacy it will leave.

References

Barba, M., Krasniqi, E., Pizzuti, L., Mazzotta, M., Marinelli, D., Giuliano, G., ... & Vici, P. (2021). COVID‐19 risk in breast cancer patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors: literature data and a monocentric experience. The Breast Journal, 27(4), 359-362.

Brown, J. M., Wasson, M. C. D., & Marcato, P. (2021). Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Management Perspectives and Potential Consequences of Infection. Cancers, 13(2), 296.

Buonomo, O. C., Materazzo, M., Pellicciaro, M., Caspi, J., Piccione, E., & Vanni, G. (2020). Tor Vergata University-Hospital in the beginning of COVID-19-Era: Experience and recommendation for breast cancer patients. In vivo, 34(3 suppl), 1661-1665.

Chan, J. J., Sim, Y., Ow, S. G. W., Lim, J. S. J., Kusumawidjaja, G., Zhuang, Q., ... & Tan, T. J. Y. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on and recommendations for breast cancer care: the Singapore experience. Endocrine-related cancer, 27(9), R307-R327.

Coles, C. E., Aristei, C., Bliss, J., Boersma, L., Brunt, A. M., Chatterjee, S., ... & Rivera, S. (2020). International guidelines on radiation therapy for breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain), 32(5), 279.

Curigliano, G., Cardoso, M. J., Poortmans, P., Gentilini, O., Pravettoni, G., Mazzocco, K., ... & Cardoso, F. (2020). Recommendations for triage, prioritization and treatment of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Breast, 52, 8-16.

Dave, R. V., Kim, B., Courtney, A., O’Connell, R., Rattay, T., Taxiarchi, V. P., ... & Kirwan, C. C. (2021). Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’phase of the B-MaP-C study. British journal of cancer, 124(11), 1785-1794.

Dietz, J. R., Moran, M. S., Isakoff, S. J., Kurtzman, S. H., Willey, S. C., Burstein, H. J., ... & Yao, K. A. (2020). Recommendations for prioritization, treatment, and triage of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. the COVID-19 pandemic breast cancer consortium. Breast cancer research and treatment, 181(3), 487-497.

Dowsett, M., Ellis, M. J., Dixon, J. M., Gluz, O., Robertson, J., Kates, R., ... & Harbeck, N. (2020). Evidence-based guidelines for managing patients with primary ER+ HER2− breast cancer deferred from surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NPJ Breast Cancer, 6(1), 1-10.

Eijkelboom, A. H., de Munck, L., Vrancken Peeters, M. J. T., Broeders, M. J., Strobbe, L. J., Bos, M. E., ... & Siesling, S. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis, stage, and initial treatment of breast cancer in the Netherlands: a population-based study. Journal of hematology & oncology, 14(1), 1-12.

Elghazawy, H., Bakkach, J., Zaghloul, M. S., Abusanad, A., Hussein, M. M., Alorabi, M., ... & Al-Sukhun, S. (2020). Implementation of breast cancer continuum of care in low-and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Oncology, 16(31), 2551-2567.

Fares, J. E., El Tomb, P., Khalil, L. E., Atwani, R. W., Moukadem, H. A., Awada, A., & El Saghir, N. S. (2020). Metronomic chemotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer: Review of effectiveness and potential use during pandemics. Cancer treatment reviews, 89, 102066.

Fedele, P., Ferro, A., Sanna, V., La Verde, N., Paris, I., & Chiari, R. (2021). Exploring metastatic breast cancer treatment changes during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Chemotherapy, 33(4), 263-268.

Ferro, A., Cristofolini, P., Garcia‐Etienne, C. A., Caffo, O., Pellegrini, M., Fantò, C., ... & Guarrera, G. M. (2021). Learning from organisational changes in the management of breast cancer patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Preparing for a second wave at a breast unit in northern Italy. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 36(4), 1030-1037.

Gasparri, M. L., Gentilini, O. D., Lueftner, D., Kuehn, T., Kaidar-Person, O., & Poortmans, P. (2020). Changes in breast cancer management during the Corona Virus Disease 19 pandemic: an international survey of the European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists (EUBREAST). The Breast, 52, 110-115.

Holmes, D. R. (2020). Breast cancer care during a pandemic: an opportune time for cryoablation?. Breast cancer research and treatment, 182(3), 515-521.

Ismaili, N., & El Majjaoui, S. (2020). Management of breast cancer during COVID‐19 pandemic in Morocco. The Breast Journal.

Kawate, T., Yoshida, A., Sugae, S., Asaga, S., Kaise, H., Saji, S., Yamauchi, C., Miyoshi, Y., Yamauchi, H., & Ishikawa, T. (2021). Recommendations for the management of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Japan Breast Cancer Society. Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan), 28(2), 247–253.

Liu, B. L., Ma, F., Wang, J. N., Fan, Y., Mo, H. N., & Xu, B. H. (2020). Health management of breast cancer patients outside the hospital during the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease. Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese Journal of Oncology], 42(4), 288-291.

Machiels, M., Weytjens, R., Bauwens, W., Vingerhoed, W., Billiet, C., Huget, P., ... & Kaidar-Person, O. (2021). Accelerated adaptation of ultrahypofractionated radiation therapy for breast cancer at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Oncology, 33(3), e166-e171.

Manoj Gowda S, Kabeer, K. K., Jafferbhoy, S., Marla, S., Soumian, S., Misra, V., Narayanan, S., & Brunt, A. M. (2020). Breast Cancer Management Guidelines During COVID-19 Pandemic. The Indian journal of surgery, 1–8. Advance online publication.

Moher, D., Liberati A., Tetzlaff J., Altman D.G. (2015). Principais itens para relatar Revisões sistemáticas e Meta-análises: A recomendação PRISMA*. Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde. 24(2), 335-342.

Park, K. U., Gregory, M., Bazan, J., Lustberg, M., Rosenberg, S., Blinder, V., ... & Thompson, A. (2021). Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy use in early stage breast cancer during the covid-19 pandemic. Breast cancer research and treatment, 188(1), 249-258.

Soran, A., Gimbel, M., & Diego, E. (2020). Breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow-up during COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Breast Health, 16(2), 86.

Thompson, C. K., Lee, M. K., Baker, J. L., Attai, D. J., & DiNome, M. L. (2020). Taking a second look at neoadjuvant endocrine therapy for the treatment of early stage estrogen receptor positive breast cancer during the COVID-19 outbreak. Annals of surgery, 272(2), e96.

Viale, G., Licata, L., Sica, L., Zambelli, S., Zucchinelli, P., Rognone, A., ... & Bianchini, G. (2020). Personalized Risk–Benefit Ratio Adaptation of Breast Cancer Care at the Epicenter of COVID‐19 Outbreak. The oncologist, 25(7), e1013-e1020.

Yahyaoui, Y., Ghodhbani, Z., Hamdi, A., Letaief, F., Zenzri, Y., Ben Said, A., ... & Mezlini, A. (2020). Suggestion of Tunisia’s medical oncologist in the management of breast cancer during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, 26(7), 1732-1734.

Zefei, J. & Jianbin, L. (2020). Ten hot issues on diagnosis and treatment of breast câncer under theout break of novel coronavirus pneumonia. Jornal Médico Chinês. 100(10), 721-723.

Published

27/05/2022

How to Cite

BENITES, A. L. C. R. .; GONÇALVES, A. J. T. .; MENDES, D. G.; SILVA, M. C. C. N.; SILVÉRIO, A. C. P. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer treatment: chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 7, p. e34211729906, 2022. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v11i7.29906. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/29906. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2024.

Issue

Section

Review Article