1697P Cancer patients’ perceptions, opinions and feelings during the COVID-19 epidemic in the most affected Italian areas: Serial cross-sectional study

Background: Risks associated with COVID outbreak and consequent restrictive measures taken by the Government can cause concern and anxiety The impact on cancer patients (pts) may be even greater We investigated the influence of COVID pandemic on pts’ perceptions, opinions and feelings during the peak of the epidemic and after the loosening of the Government restrictions Methods: Multicenter, serial cross-sectional study conducted in 11 cancer centers located in the hardest hit Italian areas The study is composed by 2 surveys administered to unselected adult pts receiving onsite oncologic treatments: the first during the enforcement of containment measures against COVID spread;the second upon the loosening of Government restrictions A self-administered questionnaire composed by 11 closed questions (only 1 answer) was used At least 1000 pts per each survey were deemed necessary Multivariable logistic regression models will be used to identify factors associated to recorded perceptions and opinions Main outcomes are: 1) perception of the pandemic effect on feelings 2) perception of changes in the relationship with the medical team 3) opinions on healthcare reorganization and on the information campaign This study has been approved by all Ethical Commettees of the centers Results: The first survey was conducted between March 16th and April 30th 1027 questionnaires were collected Mean age was 64 yrs (SD 11 7), 58% were women, 49% had low educational level 80% and 20% received i v and oral treatment, respectively As for pts feelings, 45 5% indicated that their fears related to cancer increased because hope in recovery diminished (23%) Courage of coping with tumor was increased in 26%, unchanged in 64%;95% perceived a high availability of healthcare facilities and 97 6% declared confidence in the treating teams, while 65 3% stated that the information received from the Government and local bodies was confusing Conclusions: Although half of the pts had more fears and concerns about the epidemic, they feel reassured, maintain trust in healthcare facilities and a good communication with doctors and nurses Due to the epidemic course, the second survey could not yet be performed and data will be available by June Legal entity responsible for the study: Azienda Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona, Italy Funding: MEDEA, Medicina e Arte, Onlus, Cremona Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest