Health professionals are worried. The upheaval in care due to the coronavirus epidemic could result in an increase in the mortality of cancer patients (+5% at 5 years).
- There was between 5 and 30% drop in cancer screening activity depending on the structures during the epidemic peak.
- This could result in an increase in cancer mortality between 2 and 5% at 5 years in France.
Delay in screening, interruption of ongoing treatments… The Covid-19 epidemic has led to a disruption of care for cancer patients, which could result in an increase in their mortality.
Faced with the drop in the number of new usual patients, the professionals of the Centers for the Fight Against Cancer (CLCC) are calling on the French to consult and be treated without delay, despite the Coronavirus epidemic.
Between 5 and 30% drop in screening activity
“Late diagnoses in patients who no longer consult due to the COVID health crisis can have an impact on the chances of recovery”, warns Professor Jean-Yves Blay, President of Unicancer. From the start of the health crisis, the CLCCs have put in place secure solutions, at reception, in hospitalization, in consultations, to welcome their patients, guaranteeing care in the best conditions. Diagnoses and the necessary care can therefore be carried out without delay, and the fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus should not lead patients to postpone consultations.
“There was between 5 and 30% drop in screening activity depending on the structures during the epidemic peak. There are still very few European studies on the subject. A national-scale analysis must be carried out on the impact of Covid on the excess mortality of cancer patients. It will probably take several months or even years to have sufficient data to assess the impact of Covid on screening architecture”, continues Professor Jean-Yves Blay.
Increase in cancer mortality between 2 and 5% at 5 years
However, the first estimates of the impact of Covid-19 on cancer patients have just been published by the Gustave Roussy Institute. The results of a mathematical model show in particular that the concern of patients about contamination, their late arrival in healthcare centers to receive their treatments and delays in diagnosis could result in an increase in cancer mortality between 2 and 5% at 5 years. This excess risk could increase in the event of a second wave.
“In the event of a resumption of the epidemic, it will therefore be important to communicate, with the supervisory authorities, and with the patients or people having to carry out screening, on the importance of not postponing their care. For certain cancers an advanced stage, a delay in management can result in a major change in prognosis”, warns the Gustave Roussy Institute.
According to the National Cancer Institute (INCa), the number of new cases of cancer per year is estimated at 382,000 in metropolitan France, ie 204,600 in men and 177,400 in women. For 30 years, the overall number of new cases of cancer has been increasing every year in France. This is mainly due to the aging of the population – which is causing the number of breast and prostate cancers to explode – and the improvement of diagnostic methods.
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