“This is big”: Experts concerned that the fear of COVID-19 could lead to a tsunami in cancer cases-nationwide

Cancer is one of Canada’s leading causes of death, but with a pandemic doctor health care Providers have noticed a sharp decline in new diagnoses.

“You are wondering where some of these cancers are,” said Dr. Antoine Escander, a surgical oncologist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto.

“We don’t know where they are. Over the last 3, 4, 5, or 10 years, the rate of cancer diagnosed in Ontario has been very stable, but the incidence of cancer has declined. doing.”

Part of the problem is that people don’t go to the doctor to get tested or screened for fear of getting sick. COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection)..

By the time they appear, their cancer is far more advanced, according to experts.

Dr. Lucy Gilbert, Dean of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, said:

“We see far more patients in the so-called unresectable stage of progression.”

It’s a familiar story to Diane van Curren. The 61-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer before the pandemic, began to get more and more ill in the summer of 2020.

Unknown to Diane, her cancer treatment was unsuccessful. But because of COVID-19, she was too afraid to go to the hospital and get help.

As a result, some of Diane’s tumors have tripled in size.

“I was my worst enemy. I refused to enter for four weeks,” Van Koulen told Global News. “My body is more broken, as you know. What happens when you first enter?”

“Will the risk of progression decrease? Because cancer does it. Cancer progresses over time.”

Diane’s story and others like her are exactly related to Dr. Gilbert. Despite the strict COVID-19 safety protocol, she said some patients in need were moving away.

“People are very afraid to come and go to the doctor. The chances of getting COVID-19 from a medical facility are negligible.”

“So report the problem in time. We’ll test it in time …. send that message.”

This is the message that many cancer associations across the country are trying to escape as well.

“We encourage everyone to continue to work diligently on cancer treatment. Follow up with your healthcare provider if you plan to screen or treat and may have cancer symptoms. Don’t delay if you have sex, “Tawny Barratt, Bladder Cancer Canada’s Communications Director, told Global News in an email. ..

“I’m trying to respect people’s fears … but what I’ve learned is that fears don’t take you anywhere,” he says, currently taking oral cancer medications to fight the disease. Van Coolen taking it said.

“We have to weigh the pros and cons. In my case, as long as I was learning the lesson … there were far more disadvantages to waiting.”

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A recent US survey found nearly 10 million Cancer screening Due to the pandemic, it did not occur in 2020.

Research published in JAMA OncologyWe examined three cancers for which early screening is important: breast, colorectal, and prostate. All three fell sharply, most notably a 90% drop in breast cancer screening in April 2020.

One of the authors is Dr. Ronald Cheng, Dean of the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Kansas Medical Center.

“As a doctor, I wasn’t surprised to see the reduction in screening, but how much does this study measure,” he said at a press conference. “This study reveals that this is a major public health problem.”

At home, Canadian researchers are still collecting data on screening tests, new diagnoses, and oncological surgery to understand the full range of puzzles.

Dr. Eskander is one of them. He said surgery on cancer was reduced by 60% in Ontario during the week of March 15, 2020.

“In the coming months, the amount of surgery has increased by 6% per week, but … it never reached the rate of pre-pandemic cancer surgery,” said Dr. Eskander. “It was observed on biopsy and diagnostic imaging as well. And cancer is not something you can wait for.”

From March to June 2020, cancer surgery fell by 20% nationwide, according to the Canadian Institute of Health Information.

However, there was a trade-off for those who were ill enough to have immediate cancer surgery during COVID-19.

Oliver, a 7-year-old son of Dawn Pickering, was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer.

To survive, he will need a stem cell transplant. Health officials have relied on Canadian blood services to confirm international stem cell registry, according to Pickering.

“They found three perfect matches, so I felt like I won the lottery. It was great,” she said.

The relief was short-lived. Around this time, Canada was closed. Oliver’s match was international and could not be donated due to travel restrictions and COVID-19 concerns.

The family had to rely on their half-matched daughter, Abby.

“It certainly put a lot of stress on me because there is not only one sick child, but a second child who has to make sure that she is protected and nothing happens to her. “Pickering said.

“My parents didn’t put any pressure on me,” said Abbey Acosta Picker, then 11 years old. “His life was in my hands.”

“If this was Ollie, he would definitely do it for me. My brother was a very kind, caring and empathetic person and he was always there for me.” She added.

After many painstaking procedures and many COVID-19 safety precautions, Abbey was able to donate.

“She was really kind to me, and now that I’m fine, we’re back in the fight between my brother and sister’s brother,” Oliver Acosta Picker told Global News.

Oliver has been doing much better these days. But he is one of the lucky ones who could rely on his family for donations. Other cancer patients were less fortunate when it came to finding a match.

“I think COVID has ruined everything,” said Sylvia Okonohua, president of the Stem Cell Club branch of the University of Regina.

Okonohua has been working tirelessly to call on more African-Canadians to register and donate stem cells. However, pandemics make recruitment particularly difficult.

“For example, we only recruited 1000 stem cell donors, as opposed to tens of thousands in the past,” she said.

“African Canadians make up less than 2 percent of Canada’s stem cell donor registration,” said Okonofua.

Matching these stem cells can be essential for cancer treatment. Therefore, experts encourage people to inform and sign up. The country is still in the third wave, but medical staff are doing everything they can to keep people safe.

“I know they are taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety of everyone who goes through the donation process,” said Okonohua.

Watch this and other original stories about our world in a new reality aired on Global TV on Saturday night, and online..