Covid and cancer in Russia

Abstract

       Coronaviruses (lat. Coronaviridae) is a family of RNA–containing viruses, including 43 species as of May 2020 (it is constantly being updated), of which 7 coronaviruses affect humans (the first of them HCoV-229E is an alphacoronavirus, first identified in 1965). Transmission mechanisms: airborne, airborne-dust, fecal-oral, contact.

      In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia began in China caused by the seventh newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus, betacoronavirus. Coronaviruses suppress the immune system, the body ceases to recognize the infection and fight it.

       Very quickly, the coronavirus pandemic swept across all continents. New strains of this virus are being registered in various countries, the third, fourth, fifth and even sixth waves of its prevalence are noted.

       At the first stage of the pandemic, panic was certainly observed, outpatient clinics and even specialized hospitals were closed. All were aimed at fighting the new virus,

       The purpose of our study is to determine the impact of the newly emerged virus on the organizational problems of the oncological service in connection with the generalization of statistical data on morbidity and mortality from malignant neoplasms for the first year of the pandemic in Russia, the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation and St. Petersburg.

       Materials and methods. The research material was the official data of the state reporting of the activities of the oncological service (f. No. 7), the data of the State Statistics Committee on the deceased, the database of the cancer registry of St. Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation.

       Results. The study made it possible to determine the impact of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in Russia on the activities of the oncological service, primarily on the possibility of screening programs and early diagnosis programs for cancer. The tasks set to determine the maximum damage from the coronavirus to patients with cancer have been completed by us.

It was found that in Russia as a whole, the under-registration of patients with cancer amounted to about 100,000 people, the quality of primary registration of patients decreased by 13%.

      The structure of cancer incidence in men and women has not changed much, but it turned out to be at lower absolute values. The maximum damage in the accounting of primary patients with cancer was inflicted on elderly and senile citizens, especially in localities with a low mortality rate. The incidence (detectability) of cancer decreased by almost a quarter in Moscow (this is 12,000 patients), in St. Petersburg - 3.5 thousand, in the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation by 8.4 thousand.