UK facing ‘tsunami of missed cancers’ in wake of pandemic, experts say

The UK can expect a “tsunami of missed cancers”, leading experts have said, after an international study found that diagnoses fell sharply during the pandemic.

Preliminary figures from the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, presented to delegates at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, compared data on the instance and stage of cancer diagnosis in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK, before and during the pandemic.

The results showed that UK nations had the biggest and most sustained falls in the diagnosis of lung, breast, colorectal and skin cancers during 2020. Particular data for Northern Ireland and Wales showed how badly they did compared with other countries studied.

While all countries reported a drop in cases diagnosed at the peak of the pandemic, most had caught up again within the year. In contrast, Wales and Northern Ireland still had not recovered their diagnosis rates by the end of 2020.

The study calculated that between April and July 2020, breast diagnoses dropped by 35% in Northern Ireland and Wales, compared with 24% in Norway and 14% in Denmark. For lung cancer, over the same time period the decline was 16% in Northern Ireland and Wales, compared with 10% in Norway or 1% in New Zealand.

For the most affected month, 44% of breast cancer cases and 30% of lung cancer cases were missed in Northern Ireland and Wales. There were also sharp declines in colorectal cancer diagnoses.

Cancer experts said that as a result of such large drops in diagnoses, they are expecting to see many more patients presenting with more advanced, late stage cancers.

“These data are a shocking wake-up call, providing the key evidence that the UK can expect a tsunami of missed cancers and a potential shift in stage that may lead to more aggressive cancers that are more difficult to treat,” said Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast and chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. “And the fact we are still way off meeting the 62-day target to treat cancer can only compound the issue.”

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Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2024