Clinical Course, Behaviour and Staging of Breast Cancer at the Time of Presentation During the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic
Breast cancer presentation in the covid-19 era
Abstract
Objective: To explore the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical course, behaviour, and staging
of breast cancer
Methodology: This observational study, during the span of COVID-19, included all patients reported as breast
cancer on histopathology in breast care clinic of MINAR Cancer Hospital, Pakistan. Clinical behaviour, details
of histopathology including tumor type, Estrogen Receptors (ER), HER 2 Neu, and stage of disease at the
time of presentation were recorded and analyzed for frequency and percentages.
Results: Mean age of diagnosis was 45.6 years with STD of ±10.75 with parity range of 0 to 8. Lesion was
most frequent on left side. Only 37% patients were diagnosed at early stage. Total 63% patients presented
with advanced disease with 13% patients having distant metastasis with bones being the commonest site. As
many as 79% patients reported positive for ER and 74% for HER 2 Neu, while 84% patients breastfed children.
Hormone intake history was positive in 32% patients.
Conclusion: COVID 19 pandemic has had a drastic effect on the outcome of breast cancer by hindering early
diagnosis in our population. Adding to the preexisting paucity of screening programmes and deficit in
infrastructure for early diagnosis, COVID 19 pandemic led to an increase in the preexisting high mortality
rate.
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