Vital to Get Caught Up with Cancer Screening
Americans fell behind on routine cancer screenings during the covid-19 pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology, April 29. For the study, researchers looked at data on screening for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer among about 60 million people. All three types of screenings declined sharply between March and May 2020, with a particularly significant (90 percent) drop in breast cancer screening in April 2020. “The declines likely reflect precautions taken to reduce people’s exposure to covid-19,” says Mount Sinai geriatrician Patricia Bloom, MD. “Particular attention was paid to protecting older adults, since they are especially vulnerable to severe covid-19.”
Routine cancer screening is important to detect cancer at an early stage, when it is most curable. “The consequence of millions of people missing cancer screenings because of the covid pandemic is a potential delay in the detection of cancer, which may result in cancers progressing to an advanced stage that is more difficult to treat,” Dr. Bloom observes. “These data suggest that we may see excess cancer mortality due to the virus.”
Getting Back on Track
If you’re not sure whether you’re overdue for screening, check with your doctor. Keep in mind that the frequency of some screening tests differs depending on your individual risk factors and the method used. For example, colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years for people at average risk of colorectal cancer. But if you’ve previously had colon polyps (growths that can develop into tumors), or are at high risk for colorectal cancer for other reasons, you may need the test more often. Staying with colorectal cancer, some other methods of screening need to be carried out more frequently than colonoscopy. (We’ll be taking a closer look at colorectal cancer screening methods in an upcoming issue.)
Do You Still Need to Be Screened?
Your doctor also can advise you as to whether you may be able to stop getting screened for certain cancers. “If you’re in good health, you may decide to continue with screening,” Dr. Bloom says. “But if you have health issues that limit your life expectancy, you may want to consider stopping screening for cancers that develop so slowly they likely would not cause symptoms during your remaining years—for example, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.”
The post Vital to Get Caught Up with Cancer Screening appeared first on University Health News.
Read Original Article: Vital to Get Caught Up with Cancer Screening »
