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?:abstract
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The aim of the study was to analyze the management of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) patients diagnosed with CRC or undergoing elective surgery during the period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A multicenter ambispective analysis was performed in nine centers in Spain during a 4-month period. Data were collected from every patient, including changes in treatments, referrals or delays in surgeries, changes in surgical approaches, postoperative outcomes and perioperative SARS-CoV-2 status. The hospital\'s response to the outbreak and available resources were categorized, and outcomes were divided into periods based on the timeline of the pandemic. A total of 301 patients were included by the study centers and 259 (86%) underwent surgery. Five hospitals went into phase III during the peak of incidence period, one remained in phase II and three in phase I. More than 60% of patients suffered some form of change: 48% referrals, 39% delays, 4% of rectal cancer patients had a prolonged interval to surgery and 5% underwent neoadjuvant treatment. At the time of study closure, 3% did not undergo surgery. More than 85% of the patients were tested preoperatively for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 9 patients (3%) developed postoperative pneumonia, three of them had confirmed SARS-CoV-2. The observed surgical complications and mortality rates were similar as expected in a usual situation. The present multicenter study shows different patterns of response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and collateral effects in managing CRC patients. Knowing these patterns could be useful for planning future changes in surgical departments in preparation for new outbreaks.
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