Jasz
VIP Contributor
Covid-19 has upended cancer care by making it hard for patients to seek treatment. Dr. Otis Brawley said this is the reverse of what they want, a cancer specialist and former chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.
Cancer diagnoses are down significantly since March, when stay-at-home orders went into effect. The impact of those orders is particularly acute for patients with late-stage cancer who have been wary of seeking care during the pandemic. And that means they're presenting themselves later, when the disease is more advanced and harder to treat.
Covid had an impact on cancer care in the following ways:
It caused a dramatic drop in cancer screening rates.
This meant that some cancers were diagnosed later than they would have been, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes.
The pandemic also made it harder for people to follow their treatment plan.
People were scared to go see their doctor or scared of contracting Covid at the hospital, so they terminated their appointments or quitted taking their medications.
The pandemic also caused financial burdens that made it difficult for people to pay for treatments and medications.
In addition, there was less research funding available as scientists were unable to collect data.
Cancer diagnoses are down significantly since March, when stay-at-home orders went into effect. The impact of those orders is particularly acute for patients with late-stage cancer who have been wary of seeking care during the pandemic. And that means they're presenting themselves later, when the disease is more advanced and harder to treat.
Covid had an impact on cancer care in the following ways:
It caused a dramatic drop in cancer screening rates.
This meant that some cancers were diagnosed later than they would have been, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes.
The pandemic also made it harder for people to follow their treatment plan.
People were scared to go see their doctor or scared of contracting Covid at the hospital, so they terminated their appointments or quitted taking their medications.
The pandemic also caused financial burdens that made it difficult for people to pay for treatments and medications.
In addition, there was less research funding available as scientists were unable to collect data.
