COVID-19 Pandemic Delayed Breast Cancer Screening in Many Parts of the United States

When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, many medical procedures considered non-urgent were delayed or cancelled. This was primarily for two reasons:

• to save medical resources, including doctors’ and technicians’ time, personal protective equipment, medicines, and emergency room and intensive care unit beds, for people who were infected with COVID-19
• to help reduce the risk of people becoming infected with COVID-19 by keeping them out of hospitals and other care facilities where COVID-19 patients were being treated

Breast cancer screening was considered an elective procedure, so many mammograms were delayed or cancelled. Some breast cancer surgeries and other treatments also were delayed, changed, or cancelled.

A study was done by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and used an online survey to ask people about any delays or cancellations of breast cancer screening or care, as well as how worried they were about the COVID-19 pandemic making it harder to get healthcare, including breast cancer treatment. “Our survey shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted breast cancer screening, including surveillance among women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Erica Warner, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who presented the results. “Our next steps will be to see if the affect of the pandemic on breast screening differed by demographic, geographic, or other respondent characteristics.”

Warner pointed out that many doctors are concerned about the long-term effects of delays in breast cancer screening. “Delays in screening can lead to delays in diagnoses,” she said. “In his June 19 editorial in Science, Dr. Norman Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute, said that modeling predicts an excess of 10,000 deaths from breast cancer and colorectal cancer over the next 10 years because of the pandemic.

“We need to implement strategies to help people return to care,” she added. “We need to emphasize how important screening is and let them know about the measures being taken to ensure their safety.”

As time has passed, doctors have seen how protective procedures, such as wearing a face mask, washing your hands, maintaining physical distancing, and avoiding gathering with people in a group, have helped slow the spread of the virus. So now many facilities are once again offering breast cancer screening. In fact, because many facilities have been closed for several months, you may find you can call and get an appointment for your mammogram the same week.

Most doctors agree that breast cancer that is diagnosed early is typically easier to treat and offers the best survival chances. Regular screening for breast cancer, including annual mammograms and breast exams by a medical professional, is important for everyone. If your annual mammogram was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Breastcancer.org urges you to call your facility and reschedule. If you’re concerned about COVID-19, it makes sense to ask what steps are being taken to protect you from the virus. Many facilities have hotlines you can call. It also makes sense for you to take steps on your own to protect yourself from COVID-19, including:

• not touching your face while you are at the facility
• wearing a face mask
• using hand sanitizer when you leave the facility
• washing your hands as soon as you get home

Of course, if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, shortness of breath, or loss of sense of smell, cancel your appointment, get tested for COVID-19, and self-quarantine for the required amount of time if you test positive.

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