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

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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.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate reviewing and editing the manuscript by F. Miyamasu, Medical English Communications Center, University of Tsukuba.

Funding

MHLW Special Research Program (Grant number JPMH20CA2046) supported this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan

    Yukio Sato

  2. Department of Healthcare Quality Assessment, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroyuki Yamamoto

  3. Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Norihiko Ikeda

  4. Japan Cancer Society, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroshi Konishi & Masayuki Chida

  5. Department of Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto, Japan

    Taizo Hibi

  6. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan

    Shunsuke Endo & Yoshihiro Tsubochi

  7. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

    Masayoshi Inoue

  8. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan

    Yoshinori Okada

  9. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Yashushi Shintani

  10. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan

    Shinichi Toyooka

  11. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

    Hiroshige Nakamura

  12. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan

    Yasushi Hoshikawa

  13. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan

    Toyofumi Fengshi Chen-Yoshikawa

  14. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan

    Hidetaka Uramoto

  15. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan

    Tadao Kakizoe

  16. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    Ichiro Yoshino

Authors
  1. Yukio Sato
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  2. Hiroyuki Yamamoto
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  3. Norihiko Ikeda
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  4. Hiroshi Konishi
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  5. Taizo Hibi
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  6. Shunsuke Endo
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  7. Masayoshi Inoue
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  8. Yoshinori Okada
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  9. Yashushi Shintani
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  10. Shinichi Toyooka
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  11. Hiroshige Nakamura
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  12. Yasushi Hoshikawa
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  13. Toyofumi Fengshi Chen-Yoshikawa
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  14. Hidetaka Uramoto
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  15. Yoshihiro Tsubochi
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  16. Tadao Kakizoe
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  17. Masayuki Chida
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  18. Ichiro Yoshino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yukio Sato.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships, which may be deemed potential competing interests: Hiroyuki Yamamoto is affiliated with the Department of Healthcare Quality Assessment of the University of Tokyo. The department is a social collaboration department supported by grants from the National Clinical Database, Intuitive Surgical Sarl, Johnson & Johnson K.K., and Nipro Co. Hidetaka Uramoto received honoraria for AstraZeneca Co., Ltd., and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. No other conflicts of interest concerning this study are declared by the other authors.

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Sato, Y., Yamamoto, H., Ikeda, N. et al. The consecutive impact of COVID-19 on thoracic surgical procedures in Japan: an analysis of data from the National Clinical Database. Surg Today 54, 627–633 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-023-02763-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-023-02763-0

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