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. 2023 Jun 10;41(17):3194-3202.
doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01704. Epub 2023 Feb 3.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Screening Delays

Xiaochen Zhang  1 , Mohamed I Elsaid  2   3 , Cecilia DeGraffinreid  1 , Victoria L Champion  2   3 , Electra D Paskett  1 ; Impact of COVID-19 on Behaviors across the Cancer Control Continuum in Ohio group
Affiliations

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Screening Delays

Xiaochen Zhang et al. J Clin Oncol. .

Abstract

Purpose: To examine delays in cancer screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants from previous studies (N = 32,989) with permissions to be recontacted were invited to complete a survey between June and November 2020. Participants (n = 7,115) who met the age range for cancer screenings were included. Participants were asked if they planned to have and then if they postponed a scheduled mammogram, Pap test, stool blood test, colonoscopy, or human papillomavirus (HPV) test. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with cancer screening delays for each planned test.

Results: The average age was 57.3 years, 75% were female, 89% were non-Hispanic White, 14% had public insurance, and 34% lived in rural counties. Those who planned cancer screenings (n = 4,266, 60%) were younger, more likely to be female, with higher education, had private insurance, and lived in rural counties. Specifically, 24% delayed a mammogram (n = 732/2,986), 27% delayed a Pap test (n = 448/1,651), 27% delayed an HPV test (n = 59/220), 11% delayed a stool blood test (n = 44/388), and 36% delayed a colonoscopy (n = 304/840). Age, race/ethnicity, education, and health insurance were associated with delays in cancer screenings (all P < .05). Compared with non-Hispanic White women, non-Hispanic Black women had lower odds of delaying a mammogram (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.94), Hispanic women had higher odds of delaying Pap test (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.34 to 4.55), and women with other race/ethnicity had higher odds of delaying both Pap test (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.41 to 4.02) and HPV test (OR, 5.37; 95% CI, 1.44 to 19.97).

Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the urgency for health care providers to address the significant delays in cancer screenings in those most likely to delay. Strategies and resources are needed to help those with barriers to receiving guideline-appropriate cancer screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated unless otherwise noted. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/jco/authors/author-center.

Open Payments is a public database containing information reported by companies about payments made to US-licensed physicians (Open Payments).

Electra Paskett

Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer, Meridian Bioscience Inc

Research Funding: Merck (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), Genentech (Inst), Guardant Health (Inst)

No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Figures

FIG 1.
FIG 1.
Flowchart of the impact of COVID-19 survey. aNot all individuals in the study sample planned a cancer screening. The numbers for planned test do not add up to the study sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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