Abstract

Elena Galofaro^1,2, Claudio Malizia³, Ilario Ammendolia¹, Andrea Galuppi¹, Alessandra Guido¹, Maria Ntreta¹, Giambattista Siepe¹, Giorgio Tolento¹, Antonio Veraldi¹, Erica Scirocco^1,2, Alessandra Arcelli^1,2, Milly Buwenge^1,2, Martina Ferioli^1,2, Alice Zamagni^1,2, Lidia Strigari⁴, Silvia Cammelli^1,2, Alessio Giuseppe Morganti^1,2

¹Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ²Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine - DIMES, Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna University, Bologna, Italy; ³Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ⁴Medical Physics, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

The emergency situation produced by the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge for radiation oncologists (ROs) clinical practice. In our department, we provided guidelines to the ROs regarding omission, delay, or shortening of radiotherapy (RT). The purpose was to reduce patient’s exposure to the hospital environment and to minimize the departmental overcrowding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ROs compliance to these guidelines.

ROs were asked to fill out a data collection form during patients first visits in May and June 2020. Collected data included: ROs age and gender, patient age and residence, RT purpose, treated tumor, dose and fractionation that would have been prescribed outside the pandemic, and RT changes (omitted, delayed, or shortened). The chi-square test and binomial logistic regression were used to analyse the correlation between treatment prescription and collected parameters. 

One hundred twenty-six out of 205 treatments prescribed during the evaluated period were included in this analysis. In fact, 79 treatments were excluded not being considered in the pandemic-adapted guidelines. Treatment was modified in 61.1% of cases. More specifically, treatment was omitted, delayed, or shortened in 7.9%, 15.9%, and 37.3% of patients, respectively. Unmodified treatments were 38.9% (Figure 1). Overall, the reduction of delivered fractions in our department was 27.9%. A statistically significant correlation (p = 0.028) between younger patients age and lower treatment modifications rate was recorded.