Objectives: During the coronavirus-19 pandemic, experts recommended delaying routine cancer screening and modifying treatment strategies. We sought to understand the sequalae of these recommendations.

Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective single-center analysis of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung, colorectal, and breast cancer. Data was collected from our institutional cancer registry. Prepandemic (2016-2019) was compared with pandemic (2020) data.

Results: Three thousand three sixty one screening chest computed tomography scans (CTs), 35,917 colonoscopies, and 48,093 screening mammograms were performed. There was no difference in CTs [81.0 (SEM10.0) vs. 65.6 (SEM3.29), P=0.067] or mammograms [1017.0 (SEM171.8) vs. 809.4 (SEM56.41), P=0.177] in 2020 versus prepandemic. There were fewer colonoscopies in 2020 [651.4 (SEM103.5) vs. 758.91 (SEM11.79), P=0.043]. There was a decrease in cancer diagnoses per month in 2020 of lung [22.70 (SEM1.469) vs. 28.75 (SEM0.8216), P=0.003] and breast [38.56 (SEM6.133) vs. 51.82 (SEM1.257), P=0.001], but not colorectal [13.11 (SEM1.467) vs. 15.88 (SEM0.585), P=0.074] cancer. There was no change in stage at presentation for lung (P=0.717), breast (P=0.115), or colorectal cancer (P=0.180). Lung had a shorter time-to-treatment in 2020 [38.92 days (SEM 2.48) vs. 66 (SEM1.46), P=0.002].

Conclusions: In 2020, there was no difference in screening studies for lung and breast cancer but there was a decrease in new diagnoses. Although there were fewer colonoscopies performed in 2020, there was no change in new colorectal cancer diagnoses. Despite changes in guidelines during the pandemic, the time-to-treatment for lung cancer was shorter and was unchanged for colorectal and breast cancer. These findings highlight the importance of continuing care for a vulnerable patient population despite a pandemic.

Purpose of review: Oral pain is a common complaint in patients with cancer. This review aims to summarize the knowledge on the causes and approach to management of oral pain garnered over the past 2 years.

Recent findings: A systematic review and meta-analysis included in the review, assessed cannabinoid versus placebo and showed only a small effect on pain, physical function, and sleep quality. Another review showed that chemical neurolysis as an adjunctive therapy, is effective in patients with pain of shorter chronicity and refractory head and neck cancer-related pain.

Summary: Patients with cancer frequently experience oral pain because of a variety of factors. Factors inherent in the type and location of the malignancy, the modality of cancer treatment, and a holistic approach to management together contribute to their overall pain experience. Basic oral care should be implemented wherever possible, before, during, and after cancer treatment.

Open Access

From surgery to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, attempts to conquer colorectal cancer have been ongoing for a century. Due to these efforts, the mortality rate of colorectal cancer has decreased by about 3% per year for the past 10 years. Progress in reducing mortality from colorectal cancer can be accelerated by improving screening and the use of standard care in all populations. In recent years, advanced knowledge and technologies for better efficiency in targeting colorectal cancer have been developed to improve conventional therapeutics or to propose new therapies as standard regimens. This book discusses diagnostics as well as surgical techniques using robotics, immunotherapy, and radiology-based therapy for colorectal cancer. The section on diagnostics provides information on proteomics, organoid culture techniques, and various candidate markers. The section on treatment discusses robotic surgical techniques for rectal cancer care and multidisciplinary approaches for colorectal cancer treatment. The book also examines the latest in supportive care from a nutritional and metabolic point of view.

Open Access

Radiation Oncology provides a comprehensive overview of radiotherapy for cancer treatment. It discusses brachytherapy, external radiation, and photodynamic therapy for different types of cancers, as well as dosimetry audits, which ensure that the accurate therapeutic dose is delivered to patients undergoing radiotherapy. The need of the hour for radiotherapy procedures that provide maximum clinical care with safety and efficacy and also enhance the advantage of treatment and diminish the risks of late complications.

Le cancer demeure le dernier grand mystère médical. Pourtant, nous gagnons du terrain sur notre ennemi de longue date. Dans ce récit passionnant, le Dr Fung raconte l'histoire du cancer, de la façon dont il se développe aux raisons pour lesquelles un remède s'est révélé insaisissable. Il retrace l'arc de la recherche : de la focalisation myope sur la génétique, c'est-à-dire la « graine » du cancer, à notre compréhension du « sol », les conditions dans lesquelles le cancer s'épanouit. Le Dr Fung explique également le processus de la maladie et le rôle des facteurs tels que l'alimentation, l'obésité et le diabète de type 2. Enfin, il lance un appel à l'action pour une nouvelle vision