Researchers reported in the scientific journal “Gamma Oncology” that American patients who were diagnosed with cancer in the early stages of the Corona pandemic faced lower chances of survival during the first year after diagnosis, compared to patients who were diagnosed in previous years.
## Alarming statistics about survival
The study included more than one million patients who were diagnosed with cancer in its early or late stages during the years 2020 and 2021, and revealed that the number of deaths during the first year of diagnosis exceeded expectations by about 17,390 deaths, when compared to patients who were diagnosed between 2015 and 2019.
Compared with pre-pandemic trends, the one-year survival rate decreased by 0.44% in 2020 and 0.37% in 2021 for individuals diagnosed in the early stages.
The rate recorded a decrease of 0.34% and 0.20% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, for patients diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
Decreased survival rates were observed among all population subgroups, with a greater impact on people aged 65 years or older.
The researchers who conducted the study explained that the results indicate “serious harms associated with disruptions in cancer care during the first two years of the Corona pandemic.”
They added, “Continued monitoring is needed to assess whether additional changes in survival outcomes extend during and after the pandemic.”
