In spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented decline in the use of preventive health care services. Some of the greatest reductions were seen in cancer screening services, including mammography. In a new study published in Radiology, researchers found that from March to September 2020, there were substantially fewer breast biopsies with cancer diagnoses compared to the same period in 2019. The largest decline was seen in Asian and Hispanic women, followed by Black women.
Key study results include:
“Despite the swift return to pre-pandemic monthly volumes, as of July 2020 year-to-date screening and diagnostic mammography examinations in the BCSC were only 66% and 80% of expected volumes, respectively, indicating a substantial deficit in breast cancer screening accumulated during the early stage of the pandemic,” the authors wrote. “Moreover, these deficits were largest in Hispanic and Asian women, adding to existing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted minoritized racial and ethnic groups.”
Back To TopBreast Biopsies and Diagnosed Cancers Declined During COVID-19. Appl Rad Oncol.