Is the pandemic's impact on routine health care predicted to lead to increased cancer deaths in the future?
Given the disruption of routine medical care resulting from measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, researchers expect increased deaths from cancers that would normally have been been detected and treated at an earlier stage. A study found a 46.4% decline in new diagnoses for six common cancers in the spring of 2020, warning that "delay in diagnosis will likely lead to presentation at more advanced stages and poorer clinical outcomes."
Delays in needed cancer-related surgeries and treatments also may increase future mortality. A model from the National Cancer Institute suggests there may be 10,000 excess deaths from breast and colorectal cancer in the next one to two years (assuming a return to normal care routines after six months).
About 600,000 Americans are expected to die from cancer in 2020.
