The World Health Organization has warned that Covid has had a ‘catastrophic’ effect on cancer treatments and a crisis is brewing.
Millions of people across Europe have seen their scans or treatment delayed due to blockages introduced in 2020 to control the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, treatment will begin much later when their disease is more advanced and more difficult to treat, which means they are more likely to die from it or be left unfit.
Dr Hans Kluge, Regional Director of the WHO for Europe, said: ‘Due to travel restrictions and the enormous strain on the health systems to fight Covid-19, cancer services have been disrupted throughout the region, which has significantly delayed diagnosis and treatment, which increases the chances of cure or survival for hundreds of thousands of cancer patients. ‘
In the coming years, many more people will die, especially from breast cancer and bowel cancer, for which investigations into the investigation have been postponed, he said.
Dr Kluge’s comments reflect concerns raised by UK charities in the UK last year.
In addition to urgent appointments and emergency treatment, many hospital services were shut down for the first time by 2020 in preparation for an increase in Covid patients. It took months before the NHS got back on its feet and during that time, the number of people waiting for routine surgeries rose to a record 4.46 million.
Macmillan Cancer Support has been sounding the alarm for months that hundreds of thousands less appointments have been made to discuss suspected cancer during the pandemic, meaning increasing numbers of people are not being diagnosed.
Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, said ‘Cancer services have been disrupted throughout the WHO European region, significantly delaying diagnosis and treatment, directly affecting the chances of cure or survival for hundreds of thousands of cancer patients’.
Public health data in England indicates that 14 per cent fewer people than expected had radiation for cancer, Macmillan Cancer Support warned. The decrease in treatments and appointments is not because fewer people get cancer, but because they do not go to doctors or hospitals
Dr Kluge said in his statement yesterday: ‘In the Kyrgyz National Center for Oncology, the number of cancers diagnosed in April last year fell by 90 percent, while in the Netherlands and Belgium it fell by 30– for the first time in 2020. has. 40 percent.
Delayed diagnosis and treatment in the UK are expected to lead to an increase in the number of colorectal deaths [bowel] cancer by 15 percent and 9 percent for breast cancer over the next 5 years.
‘A crisis of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, is brewing, caused by the pandemic. ‘
The fear of Covid patients gripping the NHS hospitals totally overwhelmingly gripped politicians last year when they saw wards in Italy overflowing with virus patients.
As a result, the majority of ‘non-essential’ medical care was suspended so that the health service could direct its efforts to prepare for coronavirus.
It was found that even patients who did not cancel their appointments or surgeries were too scared to show up for fear of contracting the coronavirus or using the NHS extra.
A&E visits to England fell by about half for the first time – partly because people stayed at home and were less likely to injure themselves, and partly because some people no longer wanted medical care.
This has since led to an increase in the number of people dying in their own homes.
While non-Covid deaths in hospitals dropped to below average last year, home deaths have increased. Experts believe it may be because people avoided hospitals.
Macmillan Cancer Support said last month that the number of people who visited a cancer specialist between March and November 2020 was 350,000 less than in the same period in 2019, a drop of 19 percent.
The number of people starting treatment for cancer is also still significantly lower than average.
Cancer services in the UK were interrupted by the large number of people who were in hospital with Covid-19. There are currently more than 30,000 people with the disease in hospital wards across the country
In November, the most recent NHS data, 1,200 fewer people than expected started cancer treatment – 25,074 compared to the usual 26,300.
And the number of people starting cancer treatment after a regular screening appointment decreased by 29% in 2019 to 1,337.
Judgments for screening also had to be postponed, meaning thousands of people missed their usual breast, cervical or bowel tests to pick up cancer early, which is essential to improve survival rates.
Public health data in England also showed that the number of people receiving radiotherapy for cancer fell 14 percent below average during the crisis.
The decline in treatments and appointments is not because fewer people are getting cancer, but because they are not going to doctors or hospitals.
Macmillan policy chief Sara Bainbridge said: ‘It is critical that cancer does not become the’ Forgotten C ‘in this pandemic.
“We need to see the government take action to ensure that cancer services are protected through the winter and this second wave.”
Dr Kluge explained: ‘Some countries have experienced a shortage of cancer medicines, and many have seen a significant decrease in new cancer diagnoses – even in the countries with the most resources.
‘Oncology health personnel were in demand even before the pandemic. The high cost of cancer drugs and treatments is a challenge for all countries, including high incomes.
‘Existing inequalities are also increasing due to the economic crisis, which makes it much more difficult for people to adopt healthy behaviors or have access to prevention or care services.
‘The impact of the pandemic on cancer in the region is nothing short of catastrophic. It made us realize the real human cost of neglecting a non-communicable disease such as cancer.
“This is our wake-up call, from grassroots to governments, to tackle cancer together.”