Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Between January 2020 and July 2020, there was an estimated 3.8 million colorectal cancer (CRC) screening deficit for the US population.1 The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic include reduced access to care, altered routine care, and influenced later-stage diagnosis.2 All of these effects have the potential to impact preventive screenings and cancer outcomes.

CRC screening rates fell by nearly 85% in April of 2020 when compared to April of 20193

Nearly 1.7M colonoscopies were missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic4

Between January 2020 and July 2020, there was an estimated 3.8 million colorectal cancer (CRC) screening deficit for the US population1

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on CRC Screening1,a

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer screening. There was a drop in colorectal cancer screening in the months after February 2020 when compared to the years 2018 and 2019.

Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Future Cancer Outcomes4

COVID-19 Pandemic

Reduced Access to Care

  • Shutdowns & social distancing
  • Fear of infection
  • Reallocation of healthcare resources
  • Unemployment leads to financial insecurity & loss of insurance

Prevention & Early Detection

Delayed Routine Care

  • Preventive visits
  • Screening
  • Symptom follow-up
  • Abnormal test follow-up

Treatment

Delayed/Modified Treatment

  • Postponed surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy
  • Less intense chemotherapy
  • Delayed cancer diagnosis can lead to more advanced cancer before detection. One study estimated that over 80,000 cancer diagnoses could be missed or delayed as a result of the disruption to health care associated with the COVID-19 pandemic5

Related Topics

Footnotes

  1. The HealthCore Integrated Research Database (HIRD) covers ~60 M people in Medicare Advantage and commercial health plans in geographically diverse regions. The receipt of cancer screening was identified with ICD-10-CM and CRC screening CPT codes. Screening rates were analyzed and compared for each month (2019 vs 2020) and used to calculate the estimated total deficit for the entire US population.

List of Definitions

COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019; CPT: current procedural terminology; CRC: colorectal cancer; HIRD: HealthCore Integrated Research Database; ICD-10-CM: International Classification of Diseases (10th revision, Clinical Modification); mo: month; US: United States.


References

  1. Chen RC, Haynes K, Barron J, et al. Association of cancer screening deficit in the United States with the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Oncol. 2021;7(6):878-884.
  2. Englum BR, Prasad NK, Lake RE, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis of new cancers: a national multicenter study of the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Cancer. 2022;128(5):1048-1056.
  3. London JW, Fazio-Eynullayeva E, Palchuck MB, et al. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer-related patient encounters. JCO Clin Cancer Informatics. 2020;4:657-665.
  4. NCCRT. Reigniting colorectal cancer screening as communities face and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. June 30, 2020. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://nccrt.org/resource/a-playbook-for-reigniting-colorectal-cancer-screening-as-communities-respond-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/
  5. Yekedüz E, et al. A clinical dilemma amid COVID-19 pandemic: missed or encountered diagnosis of cancer? Future Oncol. 2020;16(25):1879-1881.