Despite Pandemic Shutdowns, Cancer Doesn’t Take a Break

Despite Pandemic Shutdowns, Cancer Doesn’t Take a Break

Jane E. Brody wrote this article on Nov. 30, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/30/well/live/cancer-diagnosis-delays.html

This article talks about the effect of shutdown on detection and treatment of cancer. During the early months in the pandemic, most people were scared of contracting the corona virus that they stayed home, others who were willing to go couldn’t get in person visits or couldn’t get an appointment with their doctors allowing newly developed cancer to go undetected.

During his time there were decline in cancer treatment as well as unwillingness to cancer patients to participate in clinical trials. Many mammography centers, dermatology offices and other venues for cancer screenings remained closed for months, and routine colonoscopies, which should be done in hospitals or surgical centers, were actively discouraged to minimize strain on medical personnel and equipment and reduce the risk of infection.

She explained that cancer should have been treated with the same urgency as the corona virus because the consequences of delayed treatment and detection have the same if not higher consequences as those of corona virus. Since then there has been significance improvement in screening and treatment but with the corona virus cases in the rise again, there is fear that this cancer centers may close again.

I think its unfortunate this is happening and I think at this day and age we should have tools in place that deal with this kind of setbacks, technology has been around for a while and its been used in so many other platforms but health care providers as well as patients have been hesitant to use it. Hopefully we have learned from this pandemic and we will be better prepared next time if need be.