The earlier detection in cancer, the longer the survival. And conversely, the opposite: the delay in the diagnosis implies a worse prognosis and more possibilities of dying. From the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) It is warned that the pandemic will cause collateral damage in the medium and long term: a decline in survival rates. And, except for specific cases, not due to failure of the health system –Which in addition to the attention to Covid and other urgent pathologies, prioritizes oncology care– if not because of those affected themselves.
Due to the fear of catching the Covid, many people postpone going to a health center for early detection screening. Among them, breast or colon cancer. The consequence is that if they have an initial tumor process, the diagnosis will be delayed. And with it, the treatment. So when the patient reaches the oncologist, the disease will be more advanced.
The AECC issues the warning on the occasion of theWorld Cancer Day, which is this February 4. The call to citizens to come to have their mammograms or the fecal occult blood test for the detection of colon tumors –among other screenings– is well founded.
According to a study by the AECC (collected in the infographic on the right) on the impact of the pandemic on the hospital care of oncohematological patients, the number of new cancer patients decreased by 21% during confinement, those treated with chemotherapy by 9.5%, with radiotherapy by 5%, those treated in day hospitals by 14%, and cytologies were reduced by 30% and biopsies 23.5%.
“The number of new cancer patients dropped 21% during lockdown. But there is not 21% less cancer. It is that they have not seen their doctor and when they go to the hospitals, these processes will be more advanced “, said the President of the AECC in Malaga, Francisco Aguilar. In short, there is not less cancer, but less cancer diagnosis.
“The fear of going to a health center is delaying the diagnosis. Therefore, there will be more deaths because they will be caught in more advanced states. There will be a setback in survival, ”Aguilar warned. The president of the association recalled that advances in prevention and research have been the key in the increased survival of the last three decades. Although it varies according to the type of tumor, it currently exceeds 90% in breast tumors. “But there will be a setback in cancer survival in general because people go less to their controls,” he insisted.
AECC volunteers have convinced and accompanied reluctant patients to go to a hospital
He stressed that many oncological processes, if they are not caught in time they have a high probability of death; while the possibility of contracting Covid in a health center is low. There have been cases during the pandemic in which AECC volunteers have had to convince and accompany a patient to go to the hospital.
Therefore, the organization has even offered to the health administration to act as an intermediary in those cases of people who are afraid to go to a screening for oncological pathologies or a control so that they do not miss or postpone their appointments.
