Key Takeaways

For some, the fear of contracting COVID—especially before vaccines became available—kept them at home as much as possible. For others, pandemic precautions shuttered access to their regular providers and any other healthcare services that weren’t an emergency.

While forgoing preventive care was justified or unavoidable in these circumstances, it wasn’t without consequence.

More advanced cancers might be easier to spot, but they’re often harder to treat and, for many, will ultimately be fatal.

More missed screenings mean that many cancers have likely gone undetected. While it’s true that many will eventually be diagnosed, it’s more likely now that they will only be discovered at alater stage.

COVID-Related Delays Could Lead to More Late-Stage Skin Cancer Diagnoses

‘Don’t Put It Off—No Matter What’

When the Boston area shut down in April 2020,Helen Epsteinof Lexington, MA, had other things on her mind besides the COVID pandemic.

Epstein, a journalist and author, had just published a book, but COVID-19 put a stop to her book tour plans.

It also put a stop to Epstein’s normal healthcare plans. At the age of 73, she was in overall good health. However, she had a history offibroid tumorsin her uterus and had also been on hormone replacement therapy for several years.

Knowing that these factors put her at a higher risk foruterine cancer, she had pelvic ultrasounds every few years just to keep an eye on things.

Epstein had already put off having her regular pelvic ultrasound a couple of times, and she put it off again during the pandemic.

Then, in late May 2020, she saw a streak of blood in her underwear.

“I’m not a health reporter, but I knew enough to know thatpostmenopausal women should not have a streak of bloodin their panties,” Epstein told Verywell.

Her gynecologist immediately ordered a pelvic ultrasound that showed that the lining of her uterus was thicker than it should have been. A biopsy of her endometrial lining done in early June led to a diagnosis ofendometrial cancer.

Epstein’s gynecologist referred her to Annekathryn Goodman, MD, a gynecologic oncologist and surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.

If there was a small silver lining to the pandemic for Epstein, it was that because other people were postponing elective surgeries, she was able to get an appointment for the needed surgery almost immediately.

“My message to everyone would be ‘Don’t put it off no matter what,’” said Epstein. “Get your screening.”

Epstein’s story had a happy ending—she even wrote a book: “Getting Through It: My Year of Cancer During Covid.”

Helen Epstein, diagnosed with endometrial cancerMy message to everyone would be ‘Don’t put it off no matter what.’

Helen Epstein, diagnosed with endometrial cancer

My message to everyone would be ‘Don’t put it off no matter what.’

People Are Still Skipping Screenings

While pandemic restrictions have started to ease up, the number of people having their cancer screenings still hasn’t gone back to pre-pandemic levels.

Nearly 750 accredited cancer programs in the United States enrolled in the study within a few weeks of its start in 2021.

According toHeidi Nelson, MD, the medical director of the American College of Surgeons Cancer Programs, most of these programs reported nationwide screening deficits in 2021.

How Much Did Screenings Decline?The study’s 748 accredited cancer centers reported the following drops:80.6% reported a drop incolorectal cancer screening69% reported a drop inscreening for cervical cancer55.3% reported a drop inbreast cancer screening44.6% reported a drop inscreening for lung cancer

How Much Did Screenings Decline?

The study’s 748 accredited cancer centers reported the following drops:80.6% reported a drop incolorectal cancer screening69% reported a drop inscreening for cervical cancer55.3% reported a drop inbreast cancer screening44.6% reported a drop inscreening for lung cancer

The study’s 748 accredited cancer centers reported the following drops:

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To help reverse the trend, the American Cancer Society and theAmerican College of Surgeons Cancer Programshave created a joint initiative intended to get cancer screenings in the U.S. back on track. The organizations are communicating with business, local governments, and advocacy groups to determine what materials and interventions clinics actually need to boost screenings.

In the meantime, experts say they still don’t have a full picture of what the lack of screenings meant for cancer deaths.

“While we are closely watching cancer screening rates across the country, what we ultimately care about is cancer incidence and mortality,” said Makaroff. “It will take time to see what the long-term impact of the pandemic is and probably several years before we have a more comprehensive understanding.”

What This Means For YouIf you put offcancer screeningsand other preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to catch up. When cancer is found and treated early, it can lead to better outcomes.

What This Means For You

If you put offcancer screeningsand other preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to catch up. When cancer is found and treated early, it can lead to better outcomes.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Joung RH, Nelson H, Mullett TW, et al.A national quality improvement study identifying and addressing cancer screening deficits due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.Cancer. Published online March 21, 2022. doi:10.1002/cncr.34157

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Joung RH, Nelson H, Mullett TW, et al.A national quality improvement study identifying and addressing cancer screening deficits due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.Cancer. Published online March 21, 2022. doi:10.1002/cncr.34157

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Joung RH, Nelson H, Mullett TW, et al.A national quality improvement study identifying and addressing cancer screening deficits due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.Cancer. Published online March 21, 2022. doi:10.1002/cncr.34157

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