Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Operable Cancer Patients from a Developing Country-Patient's Perspective

Background: COVID-19 has impacted cancer care globally, and patients are feeling the impact in every aspect of life. We conducted this study to look into the impact of COVID -19 from patient’s perspective. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 9, 2020, to July 29, 2020, using a self-designed questionnaire on 310 cancer patients planned for surgery. We examined the impact of COVID-19 on five domains (financial status, health care access, stress, anxiety, and depression), and their relationship with the patient’s demographics by calculating the impact scores. Factors predicting COVID-19 impacts were analyzed. Findings: Differential impact of COVID-19 was seen in all domains (P=<0.05) and the financial domain was maximally impacted. The impact in the financial domain was seen maximum in the age group of 31-50 years, males, married, daily wagers, senior secondary level of education, and patients with an annual income of INR 35K-100K. The maximum impact in the access to health care was seen in patients of age group 31-50 years, those coming from rural areas, daily wagers, patients with annual income INR <35K, and those with education below secondary school. The maximum impact in depression was seen in the group of patients aged between 18-30 years and those with an annual income of INR <35K. Interpretation: The impact of COVID-19 is dynamic. We identified cancer patients vulnerable to this impact. These findings suggest that the health agencies and the government should concentrate on these groups of patients who are more affected and prioritize their resources. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was started after the approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee (reference code: 5th ECMIB-COVID-19/P2). Informed consent was taken from all patients. Full anonymity of the study participants and confidentiality of data was maintained throughout the study.