The National Cancer Institute is highlighting what it says are potentially “alarming” decreases in new diagnoses across six major cancer types coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The volume of pathology reports also declined sharply in early 2020, the NCI said Wednesday, suggesting that fewer screenings and other cancer-related procedures were performed during this period. Experts say this is the largest study to date using population-based data from cancer registries to assess COVID’s impact on disease incidence.
“These missed opportunities for early cancer detection are alarming, particularly for those vulnerable populations that continue to face significant barriers in accessing cancer care,” Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, director of the NCI, said in a Sept. 27 announcement. “This report highlights the urgency in helping all Americans get back on track with their cancer care so that we can avoid unnecessary deaths and complications from cancer.”
For the study, published Wednesday in Cancer [1], researchers analyzed data spanning 2015 to 2020. They compared the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2020 with what was expected based on trends from previous years. The analysis covered breast, lung, colorectal, thyroid, prostate and pancreatic cancer. From March to May of 2020, new cases across all six cancer types fell sharply, the report found. All except for prostate cancer rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by July 2020, with little difference between observed and expected numbers. Meanwhile, the volume of electronic pathology reports also declined steeply before eventually returning to anticipated levels.
The decreases appeared to be greatest for cancers typically diagnosed via screening, including breast, lung and colorectal cancer.
“We are deeply concerned about the implications of delayed diagnosis, which is typically associated with more aggressive disease and worse outcomes,” Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said in the announcement. “It is imperative to ensure that we make up for lost ground on finding cancers early, and thereby maximize opportunities for effective treatment and survival.”
Read more about the results in Cancer at the link below.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.