Dip in surgeries, delayed diagnosis, treatment: Cancer care hit since outbreak of pandemic

There was a 12% to 50% reduction in the number of cancer surgeries performed for different cancer sites at AIIMS in 2020 as compared to 2019, as per hospital data.

Written by Anonna Dutt

New Delhi | February 5, 2022 01:22 AM IST

4 min read

World Cancer Day, covid, coronavirus pandemic, Dr Prashant Mathur, ICMR, National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, AIIMS, indian express

Even though there are always queues for surgeries, the doctors before the pandemic prioritised those who needed surgeries urgently so such situations did not arise, he said. (Representational)

Two years of the pandemic have severely hampered cancer treatment, resulting in a delay in seeking care and diagnosis, surgeries being pushed back, and patients discontinuing treatment, said experts this World Cancer Day.

“When there is a surge, and related lockdowns or hospital closures for other treatments, patients who have already been diagnosed and are under treatment falter, miss schedules, and sometimes completely give up treatment. We have seen that compliance falls in such situations. Then, there are patients who have symptoms but do not or cannot seek timely care. By the time they are diagnosed, they are at advanced stages of cancer and the prognosis is poorer,” said Dr Prashant Mathur, director of ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research.

The data for the National Cancer Registry is collected and reported by the institute. They have collected data on the impact of the pandemic on cancer care over the two years, which is currently being analysed, Dr Mathur said.

“Nowadays, telemedicine is picking up and that is benefitting people. There are efforts being made by hospitals to reach out to patients. Patients from one part of the country do not have to travel just to seek care. They can go to a nearby centre and a specialist consultation can be sought through telemedicine so that there is no delay,” he said.

However, repeated closures of services have resulted in fewer surgeries and patients coming back with their disease having progressed even at a premier institute such as the AIIMS. There was a 12% to 50% reduction in the number of cancer surgeries performed for different cancer sites at AIIMS in 2020 as compared to 2019, as per hospital data.

“When those who were supposed to undergo the surgery aren’t able to due to Covid-19 situation, we try to manage them with metronomic therapy (a new type of chemotherapy where lower doses are given orally repeatedly over a long period). In around 40% patients, despite being given the metronomic therapy, the disease progressed,” said Dr MD Ray, professor of oncology at AIIMS.

Even though there are always queues for surgeries, the doctors before the pandemic prioritised those who needed surgeries urgently so such situations did not arise, he said.

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Dr Abhishek Shankar, an alumnus of the same institute and currently an associate professor at AIIMS Patna, said that there are as many as 1 lakh cancer patients who remained undiagnosed every month during the pandemic. “The theme for this year’s Cancer Day is ‘Close the Care Gap’. However, the pandemic has only resulted in an increase of this gap with people facing job loss, wage loss, and decline in their incomes. The disparity in cancer care has gone up, and when there is a difference in access there will be worse outcomes. Plus, 90% of cancer treatment centres in the country are in urban areas while 75% of the country lives in rural areas. People have to go to cities for treatment and for that, they need resources. It is also difficult to do this when there are restrictions in place because of the pandemic,” he said.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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