ESTRO 2022 - Abstract Book

S1233

Abstract book

ESTRO 2022

Conclusion STAR treatment seems to be a safe and efficacy approach. Additional data are necessary in order to standardize this approach in RVT patients not eligible to cardiological procedure

PO-1453 Psychological impact of COVID-19 to patients undergoing radiation therapy

A. Oualha 1 , N. Attia 2 , S. Tbessi 1 , S. Belajouza 2 , N. Bouzid 1 , S. Tebra 2

1 Farhat Hached Hospital, Radiation oncology department, Sousse, Tunisia; 2 Farhat Hached hospital, Radiation oncology department, Sousse, Tunisia Purpose or Objective The exceptional health situation linked to the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) coronavirus has created a significant anxiety dimension for the entire population and more particularly for patients treated in oncology. These patients are caught in the crossfire of multiple sources of concern: fear of contracting the virus while going to the health center, fear linked to modified treatment protocols and uncertainty about the progression of the cancer.

Materials and Methods

This is a descriptive prospective study which aims to assess the impact of the health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic in the radiotherapy department of Farhat Hached hospital Sousse on the mental health of the 36 patients undergoing treatment through various indicators: psychological distress, social support, loneliness, symptoms of depression and symptoms of anxiety. It is based on data collected during the survey through a questionnaire for each patient. Results Among 40 patients, 36 responded to the questionnaire (rate 90% of participation). Signs of psychological distress were found in 60.3% of the patients. One from five patients had symptoms of depression and 37.5% had symptoms of anxiety. One from three patients showed signs of loneliness and almost a quarter had low social support 25.6%. Women were at greater risk for psychological distress and symptoms of anxiety compared to men. In addition, 70% of patients admit to be more afraid during the first wave of the pandemic and only 20% have considered interrupting their treatment because of the risk of contagion when they go to the treatment center. Conclusion These results invite us to re-estimate the psychological risks impacting the lives of patients. They encourage the implementation of psychological risk prevention actions aimed at this audience, such as listening platforms and the development of psychological support.

PO-1454 Cancer patient awareness and willingness to take COVID-19 Vaccination: An Indian survey

V. Ghosh 1 , V. Pareek 2 , M. Barthwal 2 , G. Shyam 1 , A. A 1 , D. Bora 1 , S. Nirala 1 , A. Ravi 1 , S. Sanyal 1 , D.V.S. Praveen 1 , S. Mandal 1 , J. Pattanaik 1 , S.K. Samala 1 , S. Pandey 1 , M.S. Tanwar 1 , R. Sisodiya 1 , A.P. Solanky 1 , H. K.P. 1 , S. Gupta 1 , R. Pandey 1 , S.K. Saini 1 , D.N. Sharma 1

1 IRCH, AIIMS, Radiation Oncology, New Delhi, India; 2 National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, Radiation Oncology, New Delhi, India

Purpose or Objective The resources regarding the vaccination for COVID-19 among the cancer patients is not well-defined. The ill- understood aspects of vaccination and its association with reduced immunity among the cancer patients has led to lower general vaccine uptake rates among cancer patients than in their healthy counterparts. In this study, we aimed to investigate the attitude and acceptance rates for the COVID-19 vaccine in cancer patients and identify predictive factors for vaccination that could be modified to increase vaccine uptake rates, via a paper-based survey. Materials and Methods A total of 275 cancer patients, who attended the outpatient department in our institute, participated in this survey between January 2021 and June 2021. A paper-based survey was used to evaluate the awareness and acceptance for the COVID-19 vaccination among the cancer patients which included 9 questions. To assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates, participants were dichotomized into a vaccine-acceptant group and a vaccine-hesitant group (prefer to wait, only if vaccine is mandatory, or refuse). Respondents who previously had been vaccinated against COVID-19 were excluded from the statistical analysis. Significance was defined as 2-tailed P < .05. Results Out of the 275 surveys undertaken, 252 surveys were evaluated for final analysis. The acceptance rate was 67.8% among patients. Positive predictive factors found to be independently associated with vaccination were male gender, age more than 60 years, previous vaccination history, no deceased family member due to COVID-19 and more than 2 years since cancer treatment completion. Other factors found to impact the acceptance for the vaccination included the current stable