Delay in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Diagnosis Due to Interrupted Services Is Associated with Worse Prognoses and Modified Surgical Approaches.

The delayed diagnosis of skin tumors is associated with a worsened prognosis. The impact of the interruption of clinical and surgical health services during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns has been documented among many pathologies. The impact of delayed diagnoses on patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) is poorly defined. To compare patient and lesion characteristics and the surgical management of excised cSCCs prior to the pandemic shutdown of services (2018-2019) with the phase following the pandemic's second wave (2021-2022). An observational, single-center, cross-sectional study of 416 surgically excised cSCCs over the course of two years was performed. Only patients with histologically confirmed cSCC were enrolled. Data collection included patient demographics and lesion characteristics, time to surgery, surgical approach, and histological data. More cSCC lesions were excised prior to the interruption of services ( Diagnostic delays of cutaneous SCCs associated with reduced patient access to clinical and diagnostic services are associated with a 4.7-times increased risk of more severe invasion, a three-times increased risk of positive surgical margins, and a significant impact on surgical management, compared to the pre-pandemic period. Comparable patient cohort characteristics and time to surgery remained unchanged.