key: cord-0899527-hi1m8l33
authors: Wolinska, Anna; Murray, Gregg; Bowe, Stephenie; Collins, Sinead; Feighery, Cliona; Murad, Aizuri
title: Response to ‘Influence of COVID‐19 confinement on the size of malignant skin tumours surgically removed at a Spanish hospital’: The Impact of Covid‐19 on Non‐Melanoma Skin Cancer: The experience of an Irish Dermatology Department
date: 2022-04-15
journal: Clin Exp Dermatol
DOI: 10.1111/ced.15225
sha: b67432b4bd43c062e70a3766a3f8090e01969f40
doc_id: 899527
cord_uid: hi1m8l33

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pandemic on the rates of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) diagnosis and tumour size from an Irish Dermatology Department, the results which demonstrated a contrast to the findings of Conde-Taboada et al. 1 We identified the total number of patients who attended for diagnostic skin biopsy or excision from January to December 2019 and compared the rates of diagnoses and size of NMSC lesions diagnosed throughout the course of the pandemic from January 2020 -December 2021 to pre-pandemic figures. Patients were identified through departmental histology and operative records. Details on demographics, site of the lesion and clinicopathological characteristics including subtype and size were extracted and analysed. Patients without comparison data within this period or who did not have surgical treatment were excluded from the study. (Table 1) . When further subdivided, the number of high-risk SCCs increased from 39.6% in 2019 to 51.8% in 2020 and high-risk BCCs from 51.6% to 61.5% in 2019 to 2020. 2, 3 There was no significant change in average age at diagnosis (range 71-73 years). Males were less likely to be diagnosed with NMSCs in 2020 compared to 2019 (58% versus 63%) however they were more likely to present with larger lesions during this time (p <0.05).

The Covid-19 pandemic brought significant disruption to Dermatology services in Ireland through a reduction in skin cancer referrals, cancellation of elective procedures and reduced clinic capacity coupled with a reluctance amongst patients to attend the hospital outpatient setting. 4, 5 This study demonstrates that Covid-19 has had a variable impact across Dermatology centres worldwide due to the course of its global spread and differing approaches to public health restrictions and the implementation of national vaccination programmes. As 2022 brings an easing of public health restrictions, further research will be useful to evaluate the lasting impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis and prognosis of NMSCs. We believe it is useful to compare the findings of other centres to learn from this experience should we encounter a health crisis such as this again in the future. 

Influence of COVID-19 confinement on the size of malignant skin tumours surgically removed at a Spanish hospital

British Association of Dermatologists guidelines for the management of people with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma 2020

British Association of Dermatologists guidelines for the management of adults with basal cell carcinoma

Response to 'Reduction in skin cancer diagnosis, and overall cancer referrals, during the COVID-19 pandemic'

Acute Hospitals Guidance -Health Protection Surveillance Centre