CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service

Daniel M. Fountain; Rory J. Piper; Michael T. C. Poon; Georgios Solomou; Paul M. Brennan; Yasir A. Chowdhury; Francesca Colombo; Tarek Elmoslemany; Frederick G. Ewbank; Paul L. Grundy; Md T. Hasan; Molly Hilling; Peter J. Hutchinson; Konstantina Karabatsou; Angelos G. Kolias; Nathan J. McSorley; Christopher P. Millward; Isaac Phang; Puneet Plaha; Stephen J. Price; Ola Rominiyi; William Sage; Syed Shumon; Ines L. Silva; Stuart J. Smith; Surash Surash; Simon Thomson; Jun Y. Lau; Colin Watts; Michael D. Jenkinson

doi:10.1093/noajnl/vdab014

CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service

, Daniel M. Fountain (Lead / Corresponding author), Rory J. Piper, Michael T. C. Poon, Georgios Solomou, Paul M. Brennan, Yasir A. Chowdhury, Francesca Colombo, Tarek Elmoslemany, Frederick G. Ewbank, Paul L. Grundy, Md T. Hasan, Molly Hilling, Peter J. Hutchinson, Konstantina Karabatsou, Angelos G. Kolias, Nathan J. McSorley, Christopher P. Millward, Isaac Phang, Puneet PlahaStephen J. Price, Ola Rominiyi, William Sage, Syed Shumon, Ines L. Silva, Stuart J. Smith, Surash Surash, Simon Thomson, Jun Y. Lau, Colin Watts, Michael D. Jenkinson

Undergraduate Medicine

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Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected cancer services. Our objective was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on decision making and the resulting outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors.

Methods: We performed a multicenter prospective study of all adult patients discussed in weekly neuro-oncology and skull base multidisciplinary team meetings who had a newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial (excluding pituitary) tumor between 01 April and 31 May 2020. All patients had at least 30-day follow-up data. Descriptive statistical reporting was used.

Results: There were 1357 referrals for newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors across 15 neuro-oncology centers. Of centers with all intracranial tumors, a change in initial management was reported in 8.6% of cases (n = 104/1210). Decisions to change the management plan reduced over time from a peak of 19% referrals at the start of the study to 0% by the end of the study period. Changes in management were reported in 16% (n = 75/466) of cases previously recommended for surgery and 28% of cases previously recommended for chemotherapy (n = 20/72). The reported SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was similar in surgical and non-surgical patients (2.6% vs. 2.4%, P > .9).

Conclusions: Disruption to neuro-oncology services in the UK caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most marked in the first month, affecting all diagnoses. Patients considered for chemotherapy were most affected. In those recommended surgical treatment this was successfully completed. Longer-term outcome data will evaluate oncological treatments received by these patients and overall survival.

Original language	English
Article number	vdab014
Number of pages	12
Journal	Neuro-oncology advances
Volume	3
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab014
Publication status	Published - 28 Jan 2021

Keywords

brain tumor
COVID-19
intracranial tumor
neuro-oncology
SARS-CoV-2

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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, Fountain, D. M., Piper, R. J., Poon, M. T. C., Solomou, G., Brennan, P. M., Chowdhury, Y. A., Colombo, F., Elmoslemany, T., Ewbank, F. G., Grundy, P. L., Hasan, M. T., Hilling, M., Hutchinson, P. J., Karabatsou, K., Kolias, A. G., McSorley, N. J., Millward, C. P., Phang, I., ... Jenkinson, M. D. (2021). CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service. Neuro-oncology advances, 3(1), Article vdab014. https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab014

@article{e983be2adae240cc90fc8ff8168549c0,

title = "CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service",

abstract = "Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected cancer services. Our objective was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on decision making and the resulting outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors.Methods: We performed a multicenter prospective study of all adult patients discussed in weekly neuro-oncology and skull base multidisciplinary team meetings who had a newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial (excluding pituitary) tumor between 01 April and 31 May 2020. All patients had at least 30-day follow-up data. Descriptive statistical reporting was used.Results: There were 1357 referrals for newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors across 15 neuro-oncology centers. Of centers with all intracranial tumors, a change in initial management was reported in 8.6% of cases (n = 104/1210). Decisions to change the management plan reduced over time from a peak of 19% referrals at the start of the study to 0% by the end of the study period. Changes in management were reported in 16% (n = 75/466) of cases previously recommended for surgery and 28% of cases previously recommended for chemotherapy (n = 20/72). The reported SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was similar in surgical and non-surgical patients (2.6% vs. 2.4%, P > .9).Conclusions: Disruption to neuro-oncology services in the UK caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most marked in the first month, affecting all diagnoses. Patients considered for chemotherapy were most affected. In those recommended surgical treatment this was successfully completed. Longer-term outcome data will evaluate oncological treatments received by these patients and overall survival.",

keywords = "brain tumor, COVID-19, intracranial tumor, neuro-oncology, SARS-CoV-2",

author = "Fountain, {Daniel M.} and Piper, {Rory J.} and Poon, {Michael T. C.} and Georgios Solomou and Brennan, {Paul M.} and Chowdhury, {Yasir A.} and Francesca Colombo and Tarek Elmoslemany and Ewbank, {Frederick G.} and Grundy, {Paul L.} and Hasan, {Md T.} and Molly Hilling and Hutchinson, {Peter J.} and Konstantina Karabatsou and Kolias, {Angelos G.} and McSorley, {Nathan J.} and Millward, {Christopher P.} and Isaac Phang and Puneet Plaha and Price, {Stephen J.} and Ola Rominiyi and William Sage and Syed Shumon and Silva, {Ines L.} and Smith, {Stuart J.} and Surash Surash and Simon Thomson and Lau, {Jun Y.} and Colin Watts and Jenkinson, {Michael D.}",

note = "{\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1093/noajnl/vdab014",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

journal = "Neuro-oncology advances",

issn = "2632-2498",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

}

Fountain, DM, Piper, RJ, Poon, MTC, Solomou, G, Brennan, PM, Chowdhury, YA, Colombo, F, Elmoslemany, T, Ewbank, FG, Grundy, PL, Hasan, MT, Hilling, M, Hutchinson, PJ, Karabatsou, K, Kolias, AG, McSorley, NJ, Millward, CP, Phang, I, Plaha, P, Price, SJ, Rominiyi, O, Sage, W, Shumon, S, Silva, IL, Smith, SJ, Surash, S, Thomson, S, Lau, JY & Watts, C & Jenkinson, MD 2021, 'CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service', Neuro-oncology advances, vol. 3, no. 1, vdab014. https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab014

TY - JOUR

T1 - CovidNeuroOnc

T2 - A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service

AU - Fountain, Daniel M.

AU - Piper, Rory J.

AU - Poon, Michael T. C.

AU - Solomou, Georgios

AU - Brennan, Paul M.

AU - Chowdhury, Yasir A.

AU - Colombo, Francesca

AU - Elmoslemany, Tarek

AU - Ewbank, Frederick G.

AU - Grundy, Paul L.

AU - Hasan, Md T.

AU - Hilling, Molly

AU - Hutchinson, Peter J.

AU - Karabatsou, Konstantina

AU - Kolias, Angelos G.

AU - McSorley, Nathan J.

AU - Millward, Christopher P.

AU - Phang, Isaac

AU - Plaha, Puneet

AU - Price, Stephen J.

AU - Rominiyi, Ola

AU - Sage, William

AU - Shumon, Syed

AU - Silva, Ines L.

AU - Smith, Stuart J.

AU - Surash, Surash

AU - Thomson, Simon

AU - Lau, Jun Y.

AU - Watts, Colin

AU - Jenkinson, Michael D.

N1 - © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.

PY - 2021/1/28

Y1 - 2021/1/28

N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected cancer services. Our objective was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on decision making and the resulting outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors.Methods: We performed a multicenter prospective study of all adult patients discussed in weekly neuro-oncology and skull base multidisciplinary team meetings who had a newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial (excluding pituitary) tumor between 01 April and 31 May 2020. All patients had at least 30-day follow-up data. Descriptive statistical reporting was used.Results: There were 1357 referrals for newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors across 15 neuro-oncology centers. Of centers with all intracranial tumors, a change in initial management was reported in 8.6% of cases (n = 104/1210). Decisions to change the management plan reduced over time from a peak of 19% referrals at the start of the study to 0% by the end of the study period. Changes in management were reported in 16% (n = 75/466) of cases previously recommended for surgery and 28% of cases previously recommended for chemotherapy (n = 20/72). The reported SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was similar in surgical and non-surgical patients (2.6% vs. 2.4%, P > .9).Conclusions: Disruption to neuro-oncology services in the UK caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most marked in the first month, affecting all diagnoses. Patients considered for chemotherapy were most affected. In those recommended surgical treatment this was successfully completed. Longer-term outcome data will evaluate oncological treatments received by these patients and overall survival.

AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected cancer services. Our objective was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on decision making and the resulting outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors.Methods: We performed a multicenter prospective study of all adult patients discussed in weekly neuro-oncology and skull base multidisciplinary team meetings who had a newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial (excluding pituitary) tumor between 01 April and 31 May 2020. All patients had at least 30-day follow-up data. Descriptive statistical reporting was used.Results: There were 1357 referrals for newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors across 15 neuro-oncology centers. Of centers with all intracranial tumors, a change in initial management was reported in 8.6% of cases (n = 104/1210). Decisions to change the management plan reduced over time from a peak of 19% referrals at the start of the study to 0% by the end of the study period. Changes in management were reported in 16% (n = 75/466) of cases previously recommended for surgery and 28% of cases previously recommended for chemotherapy (n = 20/72). The reported SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was similar in surgical and non-surgical patients (2.6% vs. 2.4%, P > .9).Conclusions: Disruption to neuro-oncology services in the UK caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most marked in the first month, affecting all diagnoses. Patients considered for chemotherapy were most affected. In those recommended surgical treatment this was successfully completed. Longer-term outcome data will evaluate oncological treatments received by these patients and overall survival.

KW - brain tumor

KW - COVID-19

KW - intracranial tumor

KW - neuro-oncology

KW - SARS-CoV-2

U2 - 10.1093/noajnl/vdab014

DO - 10.1093/noajnl/vdab014

M3 - Article

C2 - 34056602

SN - 2632-2498

VL - 3

JO - Neuro-oncology advances

JF - Neuro-oncology advances

IS - 1

M1 - vdab014

ER -

CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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