The consecutive impact of COVID-19 on thoracic surgical procedures in Japan: an analysis of data from the National Clinical Database

Yukio Sato; Hiroyuki Yamamoto; Norihiko Ikeda; Hiroshi Konishi; Taizo Hibi; Shunsuke Endo; Masayoshi Inoue; Yoshinori Okada; Yashushi Shintani; Shinichi Toyooka; Hiroshige Nakamura; Yasushi Hoshikawa; Toyofumi Fengshi Chen-Yoshikawa; Hidetaka Uramoto; Yoshihiro Tsubochi; Tadao Kakizoe; Masayuki Chida; Ichiro Yoshino

doi:10.1007/s00595-023-02763-0

The consecutive impact of COVID-19 on thoracic surgical procedures in Japan: an analysis of data from the National Clinical Database

Surg Today. 2024 Jun;54(6):627-633. doi: 10.1007/s00595-023-02763-0. Epub 2023 Nov 7.

Authors

Yukio Sato¹, Hiroyuki Yamamoto², Norihiko Ikeda³, Hiroshi Konishi⁴, Taizo Hibi⁵, Shunsuke Endo⁶, Masayoshi Inoue⁷, Yoshinori Okada⁸, Yashushi Shintani⁹, Shinichi Toyooka¹⁰, Hiroshige Nakamura¹¹, Yasushi Hoshikawa¹², Toyofumi Fengshi Chen-Yoshikawa¹³, Hidetaka Uramoto¹⁴, Yoshihiro Tsubochi⁶, Tadao Kakizoe¹⁵, Masayuki Chida⁴, Ichiro Yoshino¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. [email protected].
² Department of Healthcare Quality Assessment, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Japan Cancer Society, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Department of Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan.
⁶ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
⁷ Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
⁸ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.
⁹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan.
¹² Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
¹³ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan.
¹⁴ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
¹⁶ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.

PMID: 37934307
DOI: 10.1007/s00595-023-02763-0

Abstract

Purpose: The current study was designed to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general thoracic surgeries in Japan.

Methods: Changes in surgeries for lung cancer and metastatic lung tumors were evaluated based on National Clinical Database data regarding cancer screening.

Results: In 2021, surgeries for primary lung cancer increased by 3.4% compared to 2020, which, given the increase from 2014 to 2019, indicates an overall 11.1% decrease. In contrast, surgeries for metastatic lung tumors in 2021 decreased by 5.8% compared to 2020, which, given the increase from 2014 to 2020, indicates an overall 9.2% decrease. Half of the primary diseases for metastatic lung tumor were cases of colorectal cancer. Low anterior resection procedures in 2020 decreased by 5.5% compared to 2019. Lung and colon cancer screening examinees in 2021 were increased compared to 2020; however, they still showed respective decreases of 11% and 9.0% compared to 2019.

Conclusions: Surgeries for primary lung cancer still decreased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The continued stagnation of screening was responsible for this decrease. Surgeries for metastatic lung tumors decreased profoundly, and the decrease in screening for primary tumors was responsible for this reduction. Our findings emphasize the significance of maintaining cancer screening efforts, even during a pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Lung cancer; Lung cancer screening; Metastatic lung tumor.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Colorectal Neoplasms / epidemiology
Colorectal Neoplasms / surgery
Databases, Factual*
Early Detection of Cancer / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Lung Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Lung Neoplasms* / surgery
Pandemics
Thoracic Surgical Procedures* / statistics & numerical data

Grants and funding

JPMH20CA2046/MHLW Special Research Program