Major study reveals low risk of COVID19 infection for head and neck cancer surgery patients
21 December 2020 (Last updated: 21 Dec 2020 12:37)
Major study reveals welcome news of low risk of COVID19 infection for head and neck cancer surgery patients
A major new report from the COVIDSurg Collaborative offers welcome news on the risks of COVID19 infection for patients who need life-saving head and neck cancer surgery. The international study, published today in the journal Cancer, reveals that head and neck cancer surgery is safe for patients, amid earlier infection fears.
Collaborative spokesperson Professor Richard Shaw, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and Professor at the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, said: “I am very pleased to say that we now know it is safe for patients to undertake head and neck cancer surgery during the COVID19 pandemic. Our study shows that this is the case even for patients with other serious illnesses or who require lengthy, complex reconstructions.
“This is significant. In the early days of the pandemic, we had considerable concerns over patient safety. The initial consensus was that head and neck surgery was very risky for patients, particularly for less fit or elderly patients, and people who required complex procedures or reconstructive surgery,” Professor Shaw explained.
The COVIDSurg Collective examined the cases of 1,137 patients with head and neck cancer from 26 different countries. The study found that the death rate within 30 days of surgery was 1.2%, the normal rate expected pre-Covid19. While 29 of the patients (3%) tested positive for COVID19 within 30 days of surgery, 13 (44.8%) developed severe respiratory conditions and three (10.9%) died.
“We now know that with fastidious cross-infection controls, effective personal protective equipment (PPE) and now vaccination, we can substantially reduce risks to patients,” he added.
Professor Shaw explained that patients were more likely to test positive for COVID19 living in their local communities, or if they had had to undergo a tracheostomy where a tube is placed into their windpipe to help them breathe.
“We now know that patients with head and neck cancer face a far greater risk to their lives from cancer tumours than from developing COVID19,” he said.
The joint Leads for the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) Oncology Sub Specialty Interest Group, Leo Vassiliou, head and neck cancer surgeon in East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, and Brian Bisase, Clinical Lead for head and neck cancer at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a monumental international collaborative, which decisively and concretely answers crucial questions about the management of head and neck cancer in the Covid era. BAOMS is leading world class research and promoting clinical and surgical excellence. The study demonstrates how our specialty can co-ordinate and lead on a world class platform in unprecedented times. Congratulations to Professor Shaw and the team!”
For further information and interviews contact: Siân Evans on 020 8674 8921 / 07752 414 433 or BAOMS
Notes to editors
- The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) promotes the advancement of education, research and the development of oral and maxillofacial Surgery in Great Britain, and encourages and assists postgraduate education, study and research.
- CovidSurg is a platform of studies aiming to explore the impact of COVID-19 in surgical patients and services. The studies are designed and delivered by an international collaborating group of surgeons and anaesthetists.
- For more detailed information on the study go to Head and neck cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international, multicentre, observational cohort study COVIDSurg Collaborative. CANCER; Published Online: December 21, 2020. To contact author email Julie Crane
- Professor Richard Shaw, Professor of Head & Neck Surgery, Honorary Consultant in Oral & Maxillofacial, Associate Director & Surgical Oncology Specialty Lead, NIHR Clinical Research Network (Cancer).
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