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Global Health Econ Sustain COVID-19 pandemic and quality of life of cancer patients

and their physicians helped individuals cope with this studies, with a 17.8% response rate, were conducted. The
difficult period to a large extent. majority of participants did not experience any treatment
Kurzhals et al. (2021), using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and delays due to the pandemic, and the vaccination rates were
Covid-19 emotional impact survey (C-19EIS) research high. In Alao, higher psychological impact scores were
tools, conducted a 2020 – 2021, prospective study in reported by individuals who referred to journal articles
Germany with a sample of 101 subjects, including subjects for information (p = 0.002) and those who acknowledged
who were active on anticancer therapy for skin cancer and themselves as non-white (odds ratio [OR]: 3.30, confidence
patients who had routine appointments. The results of interval [CI]: 1.30 – 5.30; p ≤ 0.001) (Ugas et al., 2022).
the research revealed that the impact of the pandemic on De Jaeghere et al. (2022) investigated the self-reported
both the emotional and functional domains did not have peritraumatic distress related to COVID-19, stress, quality
dramatic differences between the two groups. Andrew et al. of life (QOL), depression, and anxiety, as well as their
(2021), doing a comparative study in the United Kingdom linked factors, in a sample of cancer patients treated at a
between March 2020 and October 2020, tried to compare care hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results
the health-care system targeting skin cancer patients indicated no statistically significant differences regarding
during the pandemic with that before the outbreak of the QOL and mental health during the study period, with a
virus by analyzing data from the North Cancer Network. little alteration between the first and second waves of the
The results from this comparison revealed that the number pandemic. Moreover, no correlates of QOL or mental
of skin cancer diagnoses and, at the same time, the health scores, including the variables of cancer type
examination time of these patients decreased dramatically and therapy intention, were also found. Nguyen et al.
during the outbreak of COVID-19. (2022) evaluated the level of health-related quality of life
Gallo et al. (2021), using the EORTC QLQ-C30 (HRQOL) in cancer patients who received chemotherapy
research tools, conducted an online survey through four and recognized related features affecting HRQOL after
different hospitals in Italy between 2020 and 2021, trying to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam.
understand the impact of the pandemic on HNC patients Patients who were at a high level of concern about either
versus patients who have received total laryngectomy. The their disease or COVID-19 had more compromised
conclusion they reached was that HNC patients had more HRQOL. Adhikari et al. (2022) assessed pain management
effects on their social and emotional well-being compared and QoL among palliative care cancer patients during the
to lipoprotein patients, who faced difficulties mainly in lockdown. Cancer patients were reported to suffer because
their financial domain. Younger et al. (2020), using the of the delays in the context of medical care, the progression
EORTC QLQ-C30 research tools, conducted a UK cross- of the disease, and the burden of symptoms, in addition
sectional comparative study of 350 subjects between to feeling sharp distress linked to the threat of COVID-19
March 2020 and August 2020, including sarcoma patients itself.
receiving anticancer therapy, palliative care, and patients Tables 1 and 2 summarize and record the characteristics
who were not aware of the treatment regimen they were of the studies selected for this systematic review. The
going to follow. The expected result was that patients who pandemic has had many effects on the psychology of
did not know the treatment regimen they would follow cancer patients. The levels of depression were extremely
had more psychoemotional and physical functional effects elevated during the pandemic period. Soriano et al. (2021),
than the other categories of patients. Greco et al. (2021), Catania et al. (2020), Frey et al. (2020),
Bartels et al. (2021) used the research tools Brief Gallo et al. (2021), and Ratnasekera et al. (2020) concluded
Pain Inventory (BPI), and the European Organisation that a large percentage of patients with various forms
for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life of cancer presented high level of depression. One of the
questionnaire for patients with bone metastases (EORTC characteristics that patients with almost all cancers shared
C15-PAL, EORTC-BM22, and EQ5D-3L), as well as a was stress. Anxiety appeared very strongly in most cancer
questionnaire specific to COVID-19 and they conducted patients, with most authors agreeing. Kurzhals et al. (2021),
in 2020–2021 a prospective study in the Netherlands, who investigated the impact of the pandemic on the lives of
with a sample of 169 individuals trying to understand the cancer patients’ skin, were the only ones whose results did
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak on patients not show increased stress. Another characteristic that was
with bone metastases. The conclusion that emerged from common to most cancer patients was fear. However, not all
the research was that the general quality of life of patients cancer patients experienced fear of the same effects caused
with bone metastases changed since feelings of loneliness by COVID-19. The two main effects of the pandemic for
and social isolation were strongly created. A total of 1,760 which patients with various forms of cancer felt fear were

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2636