Key Points

Question What is the implication of the COVID-19 lockdown for the tumor burden of patients with a newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer?

Findings In this cohort study of 80 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the tumor burden, which was evaluated using the circulating tumor DNA in plasma, appeared to be significantly higher in patients who received a diagnosis after lockdown compared with those who were diagnosed before lockdown (119.2 ng/mL vs 17.3 ng/mL). Patients with greater tumor burden had lower median survival than those with lower tumor burden.

Meaning In this study, the tumor burden of colorectal cancer varied and appeared to be associated with poor survival for those who received a postlockdown diagnosis, suggesting that this cancer is a major area for intervention to minimize COVID-19–associated diagnostic delay.

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