Was there any change in surgical treatment for colorectal cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Background: The aim of this study was to review changes in surgical treatment for colorectal cancer during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a tertiary hospital in Korea.Methods: In total, 757 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery at Kosin University Gospel Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the dates of the COVID-19 pandemic: the pre-pandemic group (321 cases, January 2019 to February 2020) and the pandemic group (436 cases, March 2020 to December 2021). Medical records were reviewed retrospectively to compare surgical treatment patterns.Results: No significant differences were found in the diagnostic process (asymptomatic vs. symptomatic), preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level (<10 ng/dL vs. ≥10 ng/dL), or cases of obstruction or perforation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined organ resection was more frequent in the pandemic group (6.2% vs. 13.5%; p=0.06), while stages 0 and 1 cancer were significantly less frequent in the pandemic group (25.8% vs. 18.3%; p=0.008).Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, operations for early-stage colorectal cancer (stages 0 and 1) decreased, while combined organ resections increased. These changes in surgical treatment for colorectal cancers are likely to impact oncologic outcomes. Further long-term follow-up studies are necessary to assess the effects of the pandemic on colorectal cancer outcomes.