How COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Cancer Screening Tests?

Researchers find out that COVID-19 pandemic reduced breast, cervical, colorectal cancer screenings by millions in 2020.

New findings led by researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) show that the number of women reporting a recent (last year) breast cancer and cervical cancer screening in the United States dropped by 2.13 million (6%) and 4.47 million (11%), respectively, in 2020 compared to 2018.

This is the first study to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on cancer screening tests nationwide using population-based data. The results were released on the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Open Network.

‘COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a drop in screening for cancers of breast, cervix and colon.’

Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president, surveillance & health equity science at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study said, “COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate impact in March and April of 2020, as screenings initially dropped by close to 80%.” He also said, “Many people caught up on screenings later in 2020, but overall, the COVID-19 pandemic kept screenings down over the course of the entire year. As we move forward, it’s crucial to get people back into their doctor’s offices to get screened.”

Cancer Screening Tests After COVID-19: Study

Between 2018 and 2020, the number of colonoscopies for colon cancer diagnosed in men and women has dropped by 16% in the past year, but they have been offset of
7% increase in stool testing. This showed the promise of home trials to maintain population-wide screening rates during a major health crisis.

Other study results includes:

Hispanic and low-income people experienced a sharp decline in breast and cervical cancer screening tests last year, reflecting new emerging barriers and increasing long-term barriers to cancer screening.
Asian/Pacific islander women had a 27% drop in breast cancer screening last year, the biggest drop for any race.
Hispanic women had a 17% drop in cervical cancer screening tests last year.

The drop in screening over the past year has almost doubled for non-high school graduates compared to college graduates. Non-high school graduates had a 11% reduction in breast cancer screening and a 17.7% drop in cervical cancer screening, which was 6.1% and 9.5% for college graduates, respectively.

“The impact of these drops on stage at diagnosis and survival is not yet known, but it is something we need to monitor closely,” said Jemal. “It is imperative that we understand the impact of lower screening rates on cancer outcomes among people of color and people of lower socioeconomic standing and also work to improve access to health care and cancer screening for everyone.”

“Regular screening for cancer can help save lives. This important study is further evidence of how critical it is to get people back on track with their regular screening tests following COVID-19,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “Screening campaigns like our Get Screened campaign continue to aim to increase cancer screening rates by raising awareness about the need for recommended screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers.”

Dahut adds, “Screening is safe, effective, and accessible. Facilities that offer screening services have COVID-19 safety precautions in place. Many states have low or reduced-cost screening programs to help ensure that everyone has access, even people who don’t have insurance or a primary care doctor.”

Source-Medindia