As Cancer Screening Begins to Recover, Inequities Continue

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces cancer patients to stay home and take extra precautions, thousands of others are encouraged to undergo regular screenings to inform them of a potential cancer diagnosis. was forced to delay The results of a study conducted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) show that screening declined significantly early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Breast cancer (–85%), colon (–75%), prostate (–74%), and lung (–56%) cancer screenings were all up in April 2020 screening compared to April 2019 Decreased.¹

At the time the study was published, the study’s first author, Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCO, said cancer becomes a ticking time bomb as it progresses. The effects of these screening delays will be felt for years as morbidity and mortality increase.

Now, according to a COA study, breast cancer screening in 2022 has increased from 2020 lows, but the screening gap between white patients and those from minority backgrounds has worsened.²

in an interview with Targeted therapy in oncologyPatt, executive vice president of Policy and Strategic Initiatives™, Texas Oncology and a member of the COA Board of Directors, discussed highlights of these studies and the long-term impact of cancer screening delays on patients. explained. In addition, she noted what has been done and still needs to be done on this issue.

TARGETED THERAPIES IN ONCOLOGY™: What are the highlights of the first research COA conducted?

Pat: Characterized the use of cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment services in 2020 and 2019. Of the 6 million patients in his study, he observed significant reductions in cancer screening for breast, colon, and lung patients. , and prostate cancer observed in 2020.

These reductions in screening have also led to reductions in cancer-related biopsies, surgeries, and treatments. It can be assumed that the natural consequence of delayed diagnosis is that patients present with late-stage cancers and increased morbidity and mortality associated with those cancers.

What does it look like in a real-world scenario?

[For instance,] I am a breast cancer specialist. If you were to diagnose a patient with stage III estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer this year, it would be stage I. [now] I need more treatment. They have to undergo chemotherapy, they have to have more aggressive surgery, they have to have radiation as well as surgery. In something called transition, patients are diagnosed at a later stage of cancer, but I suspect it will be years before accurate estimates of cancer mortality become known.

How were minority groups affected by treatment delays?

Ethnic minorities and individuals of low socioeconomic status already face barriers to adequate health care. During the pandemic, these barriers have increased, making it more difficult for these patients to access medical care.

What initiatives have you been involved in to address this issue?

Identified a universal hotline [for people to contact so they] You will appreciate the availability of screening studies in different communities.

This is important because screening is available in some states. Generally, screenings such as mammograms are covered if you have commercial insurance. However, many people do not have health insurance. There are about 30 million Texans in Texas where I live and he has 5 million Texans who don’t have health insurance.

_References:

<sub>1. A new study found that COVID-19 significantly reduced cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment in 2020. Community Oncology Alliance. October 21, 2020. Accessed 9 August 2022. https://bit.ly/3bG1Ipk
2. Although breast cancer screening rates have improved from the low levels of the pandemic, recovery for certain minority groups remains uneven. Community Oncology Alliance. March 14, 2022. Accessed 9 August 2022. https://bit.ly/3A6QrYr</sub>