ESTRO 2021 Abstract Book

S1199

ESTRO 2021

cleanliness, distance, restrictions on access to companions, and other changes in daily practice.

Conclusion There was an important drop in the number of radiotherapy patients in the country during the pandemic, and this impact happened in a similar way among the services, regardless of their characteristics and coping measures adopted during the pandemic. PO-1462 Metastatic spinal compression referral patterns during pandemic lockdowns in Kent region UK S. Adeleke 1 , L. Dean 1 , R.A. Hakim 1 , R. Lin 2 , H. Zahid 1 , M. Karova 1 , J.R. Galante 1 , W. Kinnaird 3 , K. Taylor 4 , H.A. Payne 3 , R.J. Burcombe 1 1 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Department of Oncology, Kent, United Kingdom; 2 University College London, Medical School, London , United Kingdom; 3 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Radiotherapy Department, P-2 Basement level, London, United Kingdom; 4 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Department of Oncology, Kent, United Kingdom Purpose or Objective Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is an oncological emergency with a potential for catastrophic neurological deficit. Once diagnosed, MSCC requires urgent treatment to avoid neurological disability. We looked at health-seeking behavioural changes in lockdown 1(L1) (March 23-June 24 2020) compared to the lockdown 2(L2) (Oct 25-Dec 2 2020) in England, UK. This study posited that incidence of MSCC in 2020 especially during L1, would increase due to: (i)reduced access to NHS resources due to the pandemic (ii) change in health-seeking behaviour due to perceived risk of COVID-19. (iii) changes to previously accepted practice with regards to systemic and radiotherapy treatment. Modelling studies have shown these factors led to a delay in diagnoses with increased late-stage presentations and cancer-related death. Following the national campaign that ensued due to decline in cancer diagnosis in L1, we hypothesized a reduction in MSCC presentations in L2, due to increased public health awareness and continued availability of cancer services, despite lockdown. Materials and Methods A retrospective, multicentre analyses of MSCC cases across Kent was undertaken for year 2020. Year 2019 served as control. Study included all MSCC cases across the following NHS trusts (i) Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (ii) Dartford and Gravesham (iii) East Kent University Hospital and (iv) Medway. Shapiro-Wilk was used to assess normality and unpaired T-test to compare referral numbers between 2019 vs 2020 and between L1 vs L2. p ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results There were 134 MSCC cases in 2019 vs 193 in 2020. An average of 12 patients per month were treated in 2019 vs 17 in 2020, p =0.002 (fig 1). During L1, the average number of patients was 16 per month vs 11 in 2019 in the same period, p =0.08. For L2, it was 19 vs 11 respectively, p =0.10 (fig 2). More patients were offered single 8Gy fraction treatment in 2020 [77% (n=149) vs 66% (n=89)] (fig 2).