Background/Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare systems worldwide including cancer diagnostics. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on histopathological cancer diagnostics in Lower Silesia, Poland, specifically focusing on prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer cases from 2018 to 2022. The objective was to evaluate diagnostic volumes and trends before, during, and after the pandemic and to understand the effect of healthcare disruptions on cancer detection. Methods: Histopathological and cytological data were collected from multiple laboratories across Lower Silesia. Samples were categorized into three periods: pre-pandemic (January 2018–February 2020), pandemic (March 2020–May 2022), and post-pandemic (June–December 2022). Statistical analyses included comparisons of diagnostic volumes and positive diagnoses across these periods. Results: A significant reduction in the number of histopathological examinations occurred during the pandemic, particularly during its early phase. This decline was accompanied by a higher frequency of positive cancer diagnoses, suggesting the prioritization of high-risk cases. Post-pandemic, diagnostic activity showed partial recovery, though it remained below the pre-pandemic levels, with notable differences across cancer types. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted cancer diagnostics in Lower Silesia, delaying detection and highlighting healthcare system vulnerabilities. These findings underscore the importance of resilient healthcare systems that can ensure the continuity of essential diagnostic services and address inequalities in access to care during crises.
背景/目的：COVID-19大流行严重扰乱了全球医疗系统，包括癌症诊断服务。本研究旨在评估疫情对波兰下西里西亚地区组织病理学癌症诊断的影响，重点关注2018年至2022年前列腺癌、乳腺癌和结直肠癌病例。研究目标是通过对比疫情前、疫情期间及疫情后三个阶段的诊断数量与趋势，评估医疗系统中断对癌症检测的影响。方法：收集下西里西亚地区多家实验室的组织病理学与细胞学数据，将样本按时间分为三个阶段：疫情前（2018年1月至2020年2月）、疫情期间（2020年3月至2022年5月）及疫情后（2022年6月至12月）。统计分析包括对各阶段诊断总量及阳性诊断率的比较。结果：疫情期间组织病理学检查数量显著下降，尤其在疫情初期最为明显。与此同时，癌症阳性诊断率有所上升，表明高风险病例在此期间获得优先诊断。疫情后诊断活动部分恢复，但仍低于疫情前水平，且不同癌症类型恢复程度存在差异。结论：COVID-19大流行严重干扰了下西里西亚地区的癌症诊断工作，导致癌症检测延迟，并暴露出医疗系统的脆弱性。这些发现凸显了构建韧性医疗体系的重要性，以确保危机期间基本诊断服务的连续性，并解决医疗可及性不平等问题。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家