Colon Cancer Diagnoses Fell 40% in Pandemic, and That's Not Good News

MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Colon crab numbers dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn't mean less radical person the disease.

In Spain, researchers discovered a much than 40% diminution successful colon cancer diagnoses, starring experts to interest astir the ramifications.

"These are precise worrying findings so -- cases of colorectal crab undoubtedly went undiagnosed during the pandemic. Not lone were determination less diagnoses, but those diagnosed tended to beryllium astatine a aboriginal signifier and suffering from much superior symptoms," said pb writer Dr. María José Domper Arnal. She's from the Service of Digestive Diseases, University Clinic Hospital and the Aragón Health Research Institute successful Zaragoza.

"Although these figures are crossed a colonisation of 1.3 cardinal successful Spain, it's highly apt that the aforesaid driblet successful diagnoses would person happened elsewhere crossed the globe wherever screening was stopped and surgeries postponed, particularly successful countries that were heavy impacted by COVID-19," Arnal added.

The researchers compared information from the archetypal twelvemonth of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 15, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021) with information from the erstwhile year. They recovered that astir two-thirds of the 1,385 cases of colon crab diagnosed successful those 2 years successful aggregate hospitals successful Spain happened successful the pre-pandemic year.

In addition, determination were 27% less colonoscopies performed during the pandemic than successful the erstwhile year.

Those who were diagnosed successful the pandemic twelvemonth were older than successful the pre-pandemic year, had much predominant symptoms, greater complications and were seen astatine a much precocious illness stage.

These symptoms tin see bowel perforation, abscesses, bowel obstruction and bleeding requiring infirmary admission. These issues accounted for astir 15% of cases during the pandemic, compared to little than 11% pre-pandemic. Stage 4 cancers were astir 20% during the pandemic and astir 16% earlier the pandemic.

It's expected determination volition beryllium astir 150,000 cases of colon oregon rectal cancer successful the United States this year, and astir 53,000 deaths from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

The survey points to suspension of screening programs and postponements of non-urgent colonoscopies arsenic reasons for the drop. During the pandemic, less cancers were recovered during regular screenings and much were diagnosed done symptoms, according to the findings.

The probe was presented Sunday astatine the United European Gastroenterology's yearly meeting, UEG Week Virtual 2021. Findings presented astatine meetings should beryllium considered preliminary until published successful a peer-reviewed journal.

"Colorectal crab is often curable if it's caught astatine an aboriginal stage. Our interest is that we're losing the accidental to diagnose patients astatine this aboriginal stage, and this volition person a knock-on effect connected diligent outcomes and survival," Arnal said successful a gathering quality release. "We are apt to spot this fallout for years to come."

More information

The American Cancer Society has much connected colon cancer.

SOURCE: United European Gastroenterology, quality release, Oct. 3, 2021