Main Line Health researchers find that changes in treatment increased anxiety for breast cancer patients amid pandemic, and Main Line Health physicians respond to this patient need
The COVID-19 pandemic forced medical centers nationwide to delay or change course on treatment for many breast cancer patients. A new study by Main Line Health researchers has taken an in-depth look at the issue, finding the pandemic caused wide-ranging effects.
About 44% of patients saw changes to their breast cancer treatment plan due to the pandemic, according to the study led by the Center for Population Health Research at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), part of Main Line Health. Regardless of whether their plan was altered, nearly 1 in 3 experienced elevated levels of anxiety and depression.
The study involved patients who needed medical evaluation or had a scheduled surgery date at Lankenau Medical Center or Bryn Mawr Hospital, two acute-care hospitals under Main Line Health, a community-based health system providing multidisciplinary breast cancer care throughout the Philadelphia region.
“This data is relevant to cancer care across the U.S. especially as we are now seeing an increase in COVID cases,” said lead author Kaitlyn Kennard, a postdoctoral fellow for LIMR and Lankenau Medical Center surgical resident. “More than 75% of surgical care for breast cancer nationally is delivered in community hospitals. That means Main Line Health’s experience with the impact of COVID-19 reflects the majority of breast cancer care.”
Data was collected during the initial COVID-19 surge from March to June 2020. Surgery at the time was limited to essential cases. Established patients were seen via telemedicine. The study found 32 of the 73 enrolled patients (44%) had changes to their care. Changes included delay in therapy (15%) and use of hormonal therapy (29%) to compensate for delays in surgery. The median time to surgery for patients whose cases could not wait was 24 days.
Additionally, a survey showed nearly one-third of patients reported higher anxiety and depression. Those levels were similar regardless of whether the patient had a change in care or not. However, more than 55% of those with changes in care said they believed COVID-19 affected their treatment outlook.
“This study reinforces that we should have plans in place to meet the needs of patients with all types of cancer in the case of an emergent situation,” said Sharon Larson, executive director of the Center for Population Health Research and a study coauthor.
“Since the initial COVID-19 surge, we have been diligently working to address the pandemic’s impact on Main Line Health cancer patients,” said Michael Walker, MD, medical director, Main Line Health Cancer Care. “We have developed programs and services to help our patients through this challenging time.”
Walker cited creating online support groups and webinars, ensuring easy access to telemedicine, and providing early access to vaccines as examples of how the health system strived to serve patients and ease their anxiety.
“Main Line Health breast cancer nurse navigators have always been by a patient’s side throughout testing, diagnosis and treatment, and they came up with innovative ways to continue this support, which was needed more than ever,” Walker said.
The study, “COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes in Care for a Community Academic Breast Center and Patient Perception of Those Changes,” is in the September issue of Annals of Surgical Oncology.
About Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), part of Main Line Health, is a nonprofit biomedical research institute on the campus of Lankenau Medical Center celebrating its landmark 100th anniversary of scientific accomplishment in Fall 1927. LIMR's mission is to improve human health and well-being. Through its ACAPRENEURIAL™ organizational model, which integrates academic and entrepreneurial approaches, LIMR faculty and staff advance innovative strategies to address formidable medical challenges including cancer, cardiovascular disease, tissue regeneration, gastrointestinal disorders and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. LIMR's principal investigators conduct basic, preclinical and clinical research, using their findings to improve disease detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. They are committed to extending the boundaries of human health through technology transfer and training the next generation of scientists and physicians.
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.
Contact
Phil Ellingsworth, Jr.Director, Communications
Office: 484.580.1182
EllingsworthPh@mlhs.org