MADRID, 25 One. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The emergency generated by the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a necessary adaptation of the assistance that has impacted on the follow-up of breast cancer, specifically half of the women with breast cancer who had a surgical treatment scheduled. delayed by the covid, according to a survey conducted by the Spanish Federation of Breast Cancer (FECMA).
The survey, conducted in November of more than 400 women with breast cancer in treatment or review and presented in the Webinar Realities, needs and monitoring of long-term survivors of breast cancer, shows that in terms of the care received during the pandemic, 65% say it was adequate. However, more than 50% claim to enable independent circuits for cancer patients and more than 25% have guidelines for adapting to emotional changes and handling insecurities in situations such as the one experienced.
Patients also highlight other areas for improvement such as better anticipation, keeping appointments pending, and more information on resuming appointments and reviews. The survey shows other data of interest such as that 24% of the women surveyed with scheduled appointments have had one of them canceled and 39% have been delayed.
The results corroborate that the option of conducting a telephone review has been offered to 60% of the women whose appointment has been canceled, although the majority of those who have followed up by telephone claim to have found “lack of closeness and care insufficient to your case. ” Likewise, other difficulties are mentioned such as changing the oncologist, the impossibility of a review or a delay of up to five months for the appointment.
When consultations have not been canceled, the vast majority of cases women have attended their appointment (76.5%). However, one in 3 has stated that they have come with fear mainly of contagion and 8% have expressed that their greatest fear has been not being able to go accompanied.
During the meeting, Dr. Josep M Borrás, scientific coordinator of the National Health System’s Cancer Strategy, assured that despite all that progress has been made in breast cancer and in caring for long-term survivors, there is still a long way to go, since the pandemic has shown us that the health system was significantly fragile in relation to the challenge posed by situations such as the pandemic; therefore, it is necessary to rebuild what has stopped working and make an effort to increase resources within the health system.
“The success of the high survival rate for breast cancer is both a challenge for the system and for cancer care itself, since sometimes there are sequelae, there is an impact on quality of life, there is fear at times, there is a emotional area that has to be cared for, in short, there are needs that arise after the period of active treatment that must be taken into account “, explained Ana Valderas, representative of FECM.
Likewise, during the meeting organized by FECMA with the institutional support of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) and the collaboration of Pfizer, Dr. Társila Ferro, Director of Innovation and Quality of the Catalan Institute of Oncology, explained that the quality of Life becomes very important in women who have overcome the disease. And, in this sense, it is essential that patients have all the information to be able to face the stage they are in and achieve or maintain all possible health potential.
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