Cancer diagnosis rates impacted by Covid in 2021 - data [Ireland]

RTÉ News ^ | Wednesday, 7 Jun 2023 17:30

[Olog-hai]

Disruption to healthcare caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continued to negatively impact cancer diagnoses in 2021, according to data published by the National Cancer Registry.

Preliminary data indicates that the number of cancer cases diagnosed in 2021 was 6% lower than projected.

The latest information, which is funded by the Irish Cancer Society, shows the number of cancer cases was down 1,665 cases in 2021.

Pancreatic and kidney cancers appear to have been most significantly impacted by the disruptions that occurred due to COVID-19.

However, colorectal and breast and cervical cancer case numbers — which were the most impacted during 2020 — returned to expected case numbers in 2021.

The Director of Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, Rachel Morrough, said today’s figures underline the need to significantly reduce waiting times for cancer tests and expand capacity for services.

“The Irish Cancer Society is dismayed that our fears of there being a second year of fewer cancers being diagnosed have been confirmed,” she said. “Cancer never went away during the pandemic, but remained undetected due to a range of reasons including putting off seeking medical advice, disruption to health services and possibly death from COVID. Until we see data that shows the number of cancers diagnosed have returned to expected levels, the Irish Cancer Society will continue to call for urgent and accelerated measures from Government that get people diagnosed in the first instance and, secondly, that ensure swift access to cancer treatment.” …

[ifinnegan]

Article is meaningless without providing numbers of doctor visits, which it doesn’t state.

[Grampa Dave]

Inability to obtain on time treatments for serious diseases has killed people we know or seriously impaired their health care, due to covid.