United States: During the initial nine (9) months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a notable decrease of 17.3 percent in surgeries for colorectal cancer, as revealed by a study spearheaded by Mayo Clinic.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons just yesterday, the study delved into the National Cancer Database, scrutinizing the rates of colorectal cancer surgeries, tumor stages, socioeconomic variables, and other factors among 105,317 patients across 2019 and 2020.
Colorectal cancer, ranked as the third most prevalent cancer in the United States, is increasingly affecting younger demographics, according to the researchers.
Approx. 10,000 fewer patients underwent surgery
The statistics revealed that there was a 21% decrease in rectal cancer surgeries and a 16% decline in colorectal cancer surgeries for 2020, leading to a general decline of 17.3%. Furthermore, the incidence of early-stage cancer that was diagnosed before treatment was surprisingly low (35.5 percent versus 38.2 percent), and rates of advanced tumors were strikingly high (19.2 percent instead of 15.7 percent). Indeed, the time lags to treatment have not differed significantly after the diagnosis. The higher rates of advanced cancer cases among Black people, the uninsured or Medicaid-insured, and the lower settlers were all very prominent, inadvertently highlighting healthcare disparities affecting more vulnerable populations.
Lead author of the study from Mayo Clinic, Dr. David Larson, added that “the fact that nearly 10,000 patients less with Colorectal cancer went through the operations in 2020 in comparison to 2019 is something enormous.”
The diminution might be due to different aspects, including screening interruptions, fears about COVID-19 exposure discouraging people from contacting health professionals, and hints of greater health differences during pandemics, declared the researchers.
“We must prioritize colorectal cancer care nationally and strive to overcome barriers to access,” stressed David Larson, MD, MBA.
“The enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer surgery has posed heightened challenges for patients and healthcare systems,” the authors expressed. They underscored the necessity for comprehensive investigations to grasp the long-term ramifications of postponed screenings, diagnoses, and treatments. Future healthcare planning should account for the unintended consequences arising from pandemic-induced disruptions.
Larson urged further research into optimal strategies for managing patients with advanced colorectal cancer. “National prioritization of colorectal cancer care is imperative, alongside efforts to eliminate access barriers,” he insisted. “The importance of early colorectal cancer diagnosis cannot be overstated.”