A US survey study published today in JAMA Network Open reveals that screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer fell 6% and 11%, respectively, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Emory University analyzed responses to the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from women eligible for screening for breast cancer (ages 50 to 74 years) and cervical cancer (ages 25 to 64), and men and women eligible for colorectal cancer screening (ages 50 to 75).
Data were analyzed from September 2021 to February 2022.The investigators said the study is the first based on population data to assess the effects of pandemic disruptions on cancer screening across the country.A total of 479,248 women were included in the evaluation of past-year screenings for breast cancer, and 301,453 were included for cervical cancer, and 854,210 men and women were included for colorectal cancer.
In the 2020 survey, 11.4% of participants aged 50 to 75 years were Black, 12.6% were Hispanic, 67.3% were White, and 29.9% had college degrees.Fewer colonoscopies, more home stool testsFrom 2014 to 2018, the prevalence of breast cancer screenings stayed fairly steady, but from 2018 to 2020, it fell by 2.13 million (6%; from 61.6% in 2018 to 57.8% in 2020; adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 0.94), and cervical cancer screening declined by 4.47 million (11%; from 58.3% in 2018 to 51.9% in 2020; aPR, 0.89).The degree of decline in cervical screenings was greatest in Hispanic women (17%), but for breast cancer screening the largest drop (27%) was among Asian/Pacific Islander women.