Cancer screening is hit by a pandemic

Cancer testing has declined across the country, including Maine. This is because many people have abandoned annual screening such as mammograms due to a stay-at-home order, or because patients are concerned about exposure and want to leave the medical facility. According to Dr. Christian Thomas, a New England cancer specialist oncologist and head of clinical research with offices in Scarborough, Topsham and Kennebunk, the coronavirus there.

“By 2020, the number of patients coming to our office has dropped significantly over the months, mainly in March, April and May,” said Thomas. “It was a mixture. Some patients came here not only for screening, but also for the procedure to get a final diagnosis.”

According to a survey by the Community Oncology Alliance, which investigated the frequency of billing, nationwide 85% in breast cancer screening, 75% of colon cancer screening, 74% for prostate cancer screening, 56% for lung cancer screening NS April Compared to 2020 at the same time 2019.

Delayed diagnosis will bring people to the treatment of New England oncologists with more advanced forms of cancer, Thomas said.

“Cancer screening saves lives,” he said. “We can discuss a bit about who, at what age, and what the best technology for an individual should be screened, but early detection saves lives.”

Thomas of the New England Cancer Specialists and his colleagues participated in Time to Screen, a new educational campaign for the Community Oncology Alliance and Cancer Care, six common types of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer. We are calling on people to keep up with their cancer screening. , Lungs and skin.website timetoscreen.org It provides information on the importance of screening and lists local screening facilities that follow the CDC pandemic guidelines. There is also a toll-free hotline 1-855-537-2733.

“Keeping the recommended screenings up-to-date is essential to staying healthy,” providing counseling, case management, support groups, education, and financial support to people receiving cancer treatment. Patricia J. Goldsmith, CEO of Cancer Care, a group that does business, said. “The more people who hear this message and listen to our actions, the more support we can provide to ensure timely access and information to important screenings.”

Breast cancer survivor Tish Russell took a photo with her granddaughter Adriana at the 2018 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, but postponed getting the mammogram, but once she got it, she said she saved her life. Stated. Contribution / American Cancer Society

According to the American Cancer Society, there were 8,180 diagnoses of breast cancer, uterine cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and bladder cancer last year.

“The current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer treatment in the United States has resulted in reduced and delayed identification of new cancers and treatment offerings. If these problems are not alleviated, cancer prevalence over the next few years. Increases mortality, “says a study from the Community Oncology Alliance.

For Tish Russell, who lives in Cumberland and had delayed getting mammograms until just after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2016, deciding to go through screening was a life-saving choice.

After a mammogram in March 2016 and a biopsy the following April, Russell was diagnosed with stage 3A breast cancer. She has been cancer-free since bilateral mastectomy in May 2016 and continues to be examined by an oncologist every three months.

“I’m always thinking about it,” Russell said of what would have happened if he hadn’t decided to take a mammogram. “Thank God. I finally made that choice.”

Russell is an active volunteer at the American Cancer Society’s Greater Portland Breast Cancer Progress event, giving back and providing a resource for those who have experienced her.

From March to May of this year, an online survey of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of 1,280 patients and survivors diagnosed with cancer over the past seven years found that 35% had a pandemic access to care. Reported that it affected. Approximately 1 in 6 reported delayed or interrupted cancer screening schedules, including 11% who experienced delayed screening for previously diagnosed cancer.

According to Thomas, the Scarborough office of New England cancer specialists has not been closed or shortened, and patients still have access to treatment and monitoring, but studies show delays in cancer treatment across the country. I understood it. According to respondents, these delays were primarily due to logistical issues such as staff shortages and lack of appointments at cancer centers, and patient concerns about the risk of being infected with the virus.

“Although the condition is certainly improving, it is clear that there is still more work to be done to ensure that patients and survivors receive the medical care they need, when they need it,” said the American Association for Cancer Research Cancer Behavior Network. Said Lisa Lakas, Chairman of the Board. “As more healthcare facilities safely resume full operation and more people are vaccinated, they will have easier access to screening, which is essential for early detection and prevention of cancer. I hope that. “

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