According to US data released on Thursday, screenings have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels for a number of prevalent malignancies, which could result in diagnoses made later in the course of the disease when it may be more challenging to successfully treat. Due to the delay, patients are more likely to receive a diagnosis at a later stage of the illness.
According to a review of medical claims data from 306 million adults, the average rates of screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer decreased in 2020—the first year of the pandemic—compared to the three years prior by 40%, 36%, and 45%, respectively.
The researchers also discovered a 6%–7% decline in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer diagnoses between 2019 and 2020 and an additional 5%–6% decline between 2020 and 2021.
According to the study's principal investigator Allison Oakes of the Brentwood, Tennessee-based data analytics firm Trilliant Health, the drop in diagnoses "does not suggest certain malignancies are suddenly less common." Instead, it indicates that certain cancer patients would experience a later and more severe stage of the disease before receiving a diagnosis.
Read more: Marijuana smoker causes more lung harm than tobacco
According to data published in JAMA Oncology, screening rates had recovered by the end of 2021 but were remained below pre-pandemic levels.
According to ongoing data analysis for 2022, screening rates are unlikely to have significantly increased in 2022, according to Oakes.
When comparing quarters, "we do not detect material changes in behavior," she continued.
According to Oakes, the first quarter of 2022 saw a 6.2% decrease in the use of healthcare for non-COVID, non-mental-health disorders.
People are not just skipping their annual cancer screenings, but they are also using primary care less frequently, according to Oakes.
It is challenging to comprehend how the pandemic affects cancer mortality because other factors are also at play in addition to delayed screenings. Cancer risk can also rise as a result of increased alcohol intake and decreased exercise, two behaviors that are frequent during protracted pandemic lockdowns. But delaying a test can pose a serious risk.
0 Comments