Jiani Liu and colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China, studied the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on
the anxiety and depressive symptoms of cancer patients before and during the
2019 coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 526 head and neck cancer patients were included
in the final analysis; 27% of cases experienced anxiety and depression before the
pandemic and 50 % during the COVID-19 pandemic. (P=0.018).
The present study demonstrates the significant impact of
COVID-19 on the psychological states of cancer patients. This findings indicating
the need for appropriate changes in treatment decisions, enhanced
psychotherapy, and interventions to reduce the incidence of anxiety,
depression, and even suicide during the pandemic.
