Khaberni - A recent scientific study unveiled a decline in the survival chances of cancer patients during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers in the journal JAMA Oncology reported that patients in the United States who were diagnosed with cancer during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic recorded lower survival rates within the first year after diagnosis, compared to patients diagnosed in pre-pandemic periods.
The study included more than a million patients diagnosed with cancer in its early or late stages during the years 2020 and 2021, according to Reuters.
The results of the study concluded that the number of deaths during the first year after diagnosis was approximately 17,390 more than the expected rates when compared with patients diagnosed between the years 2015 and 2019.
Decline in survival rates
Comparisons with pre-pandemic trends showed that the one-year survival rate decreased by 0.44 percentage points in 2020 and by 0.37 percentage points in 2021 for patients diagnosed in the early stages of cancer.
Patients diagnosed in the later stages saw a decrease of 0.34 percentage points in 2020 and 0.20 percentage points in 2021.
The study indicated a decrease in survival rates across different demographic groups, with the age group of 65 years or older being significantly more affected compared to others.
Health implications and future warnings
Researchers emphasized that the results reflect significant harm associated with disruptions in healthcare provision for cancer patients during the first two years of the pandemic, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring to determine if the changes in survival rates have continued during the pandemic period and beyond.
