Getting cancer screening back on track during COVID-19

TheoryLab

Early detection of cancer through screening reduces mortality from cancers of the colon and rectum, breast, uterine cervix, and lung (see https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/cancer-screening-guidelines.html). Cancer mortality has declined in recent decades in part due to progress in cancer screening technologies, awareness, research, and the general population’s improved uptake in screening services. But far too many individuals for whom screening is recommended remain unscreened, and this situation has been aggravated by the substantial decline in cancer screening resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the pandemic-related disruptions will likely exacerbate existing disparities in cancer screening and survival across groups of people who have systemically experienced social or economic obstacles to screening and care. Deana Baptiste, PhD, MPH—the American Cancer Society’s Director of Guideline Development Process—joined the TheoryLab podcast to talk about why cancer screening remains a public health priority and an essential service. REFERENCES: ACS Guidance on Cancer Screening During COVID-19: https://www.acs4ccc.org/acs-guidance-on-cancer-screening-during-covid-19/ American Cancer Society screening guidelines: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/cancer-screening-guidelines.html 3:44 – The role that screening plays in decreasing cancer mortality 6:08 – Pre-pandemic, were we where we wanted to be as a country in terms of cancer screening? 9:05 – On the concerning drop in cancer screening resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic 13:58 – Have measures that have been put into place to make hospitals safe for patients during the pandemic had unintended consequences on screening? 20:09 – Why cancer screening remains a public health priority and essential service 24:36 – Strategies to get cancer screening back on track 31:42 – How screening disparities have been impacted by the pandemic 35:47 – Some ways to deal with the “unprecedented backlog in cancer screening” 43:10 – Lessons learned from the pandemic that will inform our ability to better deliver cancer screenings appropriately, safely, and equitably