LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — A new report published on Wednesday reveals that the number of new diagnoses of six major cancer types in the United States sharply declined in early 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The collaborative effort between the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Cancer Society, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries produced the report.
According to the report, there was a significant decrease in the diagnosis of female breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, thyroid, and pancreatic cancers during the initial stages of the pandemic. This decline is likely attributed to the disruption of medical care and cancer screenings.
The report also highlights a sharp drop in pathology reports in early 2020, indicating a reduction in cancer screenings and related procedures during that period of time.
CDC stated that these findings collectively indicate that many cancer cases were not diagnosed in the United States during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic due to interruptions in healthcare services.
In terms of significance, CDC emphasized that this study is the most extensive analysis conducted so far regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on new cancer diagnoses in the United States.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
