The number of cancer treatments declined during the corona lockdown.
This is confirmed by a new study by the Helios clinics.
The Corona *
lockdown
has an impact on the diagnosis and treatment of
cancer
.
Cancer
patients received 10 to 20 percent less therapy during the
corona
lockdown.
Cancer
is more dangerous than
Covid-19
in most cases
.
Berlin - The
Corona
-
Lockdown
last year had a serious
impact
on the German economy.
But not only that, medical care also suffered enormously from the consequences
the
corona crisis
.
This has now also been confirmed by a large German clinic operator.
Accordingly, there were
fewer cancer treatments
during the
corona lockdown
in spring 2020 than at the same time in 2019. The study by authors led by physician Peter Reichardt from Helios-Klinikum
Berlin
shows a decrease in inpatient admissions for diagnostics and therapy of 10 to 20 percent.
Patients over 75 are particularly affected, according to the doctor.
Fewer cancer treatments in corona lockdown: Helios study analyzes data from 13 countries
The study
analyzed
69,000
cancer
cases from 75
Helios clinics
in 13 federal states.
The authors consider the results to be representative for the whole of Germany.
The period between mid-March and the end of April and the period immediately thereafter until mid-June 2020 were considered. These were compared with the corresponding periods in 2019.
According to the authors, larger clinics and hospitals in federal states with higher
Covid-19 case
numbers were particularly affected.
Study data |
|
Federal states |
13th |
Helios clinics |
75 |
Cases analyzed |
69,000 |
At first glance, one could conclude that there were simply fewer
cancer cases
than in 2019.
According to Reichardt, however, the number has not fallen, "but the diseases probably only discovered later".
Especially with
cancer
, an early start of
therapy is
decisive for the course of the disease and the chances of survival.
Cancer and Corona: Reasons behind the decline need to be clarified
Now it is important to clarify the reasons behind the decline in cancer treatments.
It is suspected that patients are afraid of infection in the hospital and that doctors' practices are being closed in corona lockdown.
It is still too early to answer the question of whether the decline in treatments and diagnoses also leads to higher mortality, said Lorenz Trümper, the executive chairman of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology, when asked by the dpa.
He also complains about a data gap: "The cancer registry system in Germany has not yet worked the way we need it." Other countries already have data, in this country a conclusion will probably only be possible after the
corona pandemic
.
He also put the results of the
Helios study into
perspective
.
One could assume that some of the patients were treated on an
outpatient basis
instead of in the
hospital
.
Message of the day: In spite of lockdown, it is essential to continue early detection [...] Read more: https://t.co/wazfNeuKXH, Source: Berufsverband der Frauenärzte eV (BVF) #Research #Studie #Gesundheit #Medizin #Gesundheitsnachrichten #Gesundheitsportal #Corona #Cancer #oncology pic.twitter.com/TLVPRmWXaZ
- DeutschesGesundheitsPortal (@de_ges_portal) January 3, 2021
During Corona: outpatient cancer therapy reason for the falling numbers?
Data from
oncology in
private practice
only showed a decline in treatments of around eight percent in the main
lockdown phase
, after which the numbers rose again quickly.
The decline in hospital admissions observed in the study could also be partly due to the fact that fewer
cancer patients
were discharged home during therapy
at the time
.
In the first lockdown, enough beds had to be
kept free
for a possible rush of
Covid 19 patients
.
This regulation
no longer
applies
in the second
lockdown
.
According to Trümper, cancer patients are less affected by the postponement of non-urgent interventions.
There is a maximum of one postponement of individual days.
Cancer patients should go to the examination despite the lockdown
Despite the currently applicable second
corona lockdown
, patients should continue to undergo examinations and treatments, according to the doctor.
Sufficient precautionary and protective measures have been taken so that patients can use their therapies without the risk of infection.
After all, for the vast majority of patients,
cancer is
"a far greater risk to their lives".
At the end of 2020, however, experts warned against neglecting
patients
with
cancer
. "More and more oncological interventions are being postponed, diagnostic examinations and follow-up care are being severely reduced," criticized the
Corona
Task Force - a cooperation between the German Cancer Aid (DKH), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the German Cancer Society (DKG). (ebb with dpa) *
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