Cancer statistics
During pandemic, we admitted 27 oncological patients at our ENT department, who all underwent head and neck surgery. Mean age was 67,2 and M:F= 3,3:1. Most frequent comorbidities were: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (18.5%), idiopathic hypertension (77.7%), type 2 diabetes (25.9%), heart failure (Class. NYHA II – III) (14.8%), chronic kidney disease (11.1%) and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (62.9%). All the patients were negative at the first COVID-19 swab. About the oncological diagnosis and procedures: 4/27 patients (14.8%) were affected by oral cavity cancer and underwent surgical resection of the tumor; in three cases we performed an immediate reconstructive surgery with local or microvascular free flap. Five out of 27 patients (18.5%) were affected by laryngeal cancer and underwent laser type IV Cordectomy (1/5) and Total Laryngectomy (TL) with elective bilateral neck dissection (4/5); in two cases of salvage TL an internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP) flap was used for tracheostoma reconstruction. A parotid malignant tumor (previously diagnosed with fine needle aspiration biopsy, FNAB) was found in 5/27 patients (18,5%), all who underwent total parotidectomy and selective ipsilateral neck dissection. Three out of 27 patients (11.1%) affected by hypopharyngeal carcinoma underwent biopsy and were addressed to radiation therapy. Paranasal sinus and nasal cancer were diagnosed in 6/27 patients (22,2%); 5/6 patients were suitable for endoscopic resection of tumor and one patient with cancer of nasal vestibule underwent local excision and brachytherapy. Finally, 1/27 patient underwent total thyroidectomy, 2/27 patients underwent unilateral super-selective neck dissection to confirm a suspected diagnosis of lymphoma and 1/27 patient was admitted to our department in emergency for a neck mass then revealed as large submandibular abscess. Mean hospital stay for all the patients admitted at our ENT department during pandemic was 10,3 days. Tracheostomy was performed in 8/27 patients (29.6%)