Covid-19 Outbreaks Led to Dangerous Delay in Cancer Diagnoses
A decline in mammograms and other screening procedures after the coronavirus pandemic struck is leading to missed and delayed cancer diagnoses, according to data from insurance claims, lab orders, Medicare billings and oncology-practice records, an emerging pattern that is alarming oncologists.
Hundreds of thousands of cancer screenings were deferred after worries about Covid-19 shut down much of the U.S. health-care system starting this spring. Because many cancers can advance rapidly, months without detection could mean fewer treatment options and worse outcomes, including more deaths.
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Cancer-care provider 21st Century Oncology, which has 300 locations around the U.S., said about 18% of its newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients this year through August had an advanced stage of the disease, compared with 12% in all of 2019. From 2015 to 2019, the share of its breast-cancer cases detected at an advanced stage was between 11% and 12.5%. The provider has also seen a higher proportion of its lung-cancer patients arriving with a more advanced stage of the disease this year.
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The early data on cancer underscore concerns that the negative health impact of the coronavirus extends well beyond the direct effects of Covid-19. This year, deaths tied to a range of medical conditions—from Alzheimer’s disease to heart attacks—have exceeded those of previous years in what physicians and researchers say reflects stress from the pandemic and deferred medical care.
More..
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-outbreaks-led-to-dangerous-delay-in-cancer-diagnoses-11602756013 (subscription)
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So don't delay! Go see your doctor! This is why I post it on GD and not on the Health group.
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