Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on care of melanoma patients in Berlin, Germany: the Mela-COVID survey

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic imposes major challenges for care of cancer patients. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to assess the effects of the pandemic on treatment and appointments of patients with malignant melanoma based on a large skin cancer centre in Berlin, Germany, and identify reasons for, and impact factors associated with these changes. MATERIALS & METHODS: Patients with melanoma treated from January 1(st) 2019 received a postal survey with questions on impairment due to the pandemic, fear of COVID-19, fear of melanoma, changes in therapy and/or appointments, including reasons for the changes. Impact factors on postponed/missed appointments were examined using descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The response rate was 41.3% (n = 324; 57.4% males; mean age: 67.9 years). Among 104 participants currently receiving therapy, four (3.8%) reported treatment changes due to the pandemic. Postponements or cancellations of appointments occurred in 48 participants (14.8%), most frequently, at their own request (81.3%) due to fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection (68.8%). Current treatment was associated with a reduced chance of postponing/missing appointments (OR = 0.208, p = 0.003), whereas a high or very high level of concern for COVID-19 (OR = 6.806, p = 0.034; OR = 10.097, p = 0.038), SARS-CoV-2 infection among close acquaintances (OR = 4.251, p = 0.026), anxiety disorder (OR = 5.465, p = 0.016) and AJCC stage IV (OR = 3.108, p = 0.048) were associated with a higher likelihood of postponing/missing appointments. CONCLUSION: Among our participants, treatment changes were rare and the proportion of missed/delayed appointments was rather small. The main reasons for delays/cancellations of appointments were anxiety and concern for COVID-19. SUPPLEMENTARY DATA: Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1684/ejd.2021.4098. Table S1. Disease and treatment characteristics and their association with postponed/missed appointments. Table S2. Treatment changes or postponement due to the pandemic. Table S3. Comorbidities and their association with postponed/missed appointments. Fig. S1. Number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections per day in Germany and Berlin between February 1(st) 2020 and July 1(st) 2020.