U.S. Reports Rise in ‘Breast and Pancreatic Cancer’ Cases Since COVID-19 Pandemic

Los Angeles — A new study from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, revealed that the U.S. has seen an increase in diagnoses of advanced-stage breast and pancreatic cancers since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study compared cancer incidence rates in 2021 with those before the pandemic, using data from the NIH's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

Earlier research showed a sudden drop in new cancer diagnoses and pathology reports in early 2020, suggesting that many cancers may not have been diagnosed in a timely manner. This new study aimed to investigate whether the missing diagnoses had been detected since the pandemic began.

The findings revealed that the overall cancer incidence rate and most specific cancer types returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021, without a significant rebound to compensate for the decline in 2020.

However, the study noted an increase in new diagnoses of advanced-stage breast and pancreatic cancers in the U.S. in 2021.

The researchers emphasized the importance of ongoing monitoring to better understand the long-term impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnosis and outcomes.

Source: Xinhua Thai
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