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News — BOSTON: More than 1.1 million Americans have died from Covid-19, and though pandemic-related restrictions have eased throughout the country, the effects of the pandemic on chronic diseases such as cancer remain largely unknown.

Cancer researchers attending the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 22-25, 2023, will be available to speak to reporters in person or virtually through Zoom to share recent national data on cancer trends related to the pandemic that showcase the startling effects the pandemic had on cancer diagnoses and what this means for cancer care in 2023 and beyond.

For journalists based in the New England area, the researchers will be able to share previously unpublished data related to the New England area and how that data compares with national trends.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 9-11 a.m. ET. Interviews will be scheduled within this timeframe. Requests outside this timeframe may also be accommodated with advanced notice.

WHERE: Virtual through Zoom or in-person at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. Further details will be provided upon registration.

CANCER EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS: 

• Lauren M. Janczewski, MD, American College of Surgeons Clinical Scholar in Residence and General Surgery Resident at Northwestern University. Co-author of a forthcoming study on alterations in cancer treatment in the U.S. during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Kelsey Romatoski, MD, Surgical Outcomes Analysis & Research (SOAR) Initiative Research Fellow, Boston Medical Center, General Surgery Resident, and first author of “Delays and Disparities in the Observed Versus Predicted Incidence Rates of Screenable Cancers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of American College of Surgeons, 2023, 3 (2023): 420-430.
• Teviah E. Sachs, MD, MPH, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Chief of the Section of Surgical Oncology at Boston Medical Center. Senior author of “Delays and Disparities in the Observed Versus Predicted Incidence Rates of Screenable Cancers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of American College of Surgeons, 2023, 3 (2023): 420-430.

Why this matters now:  

• The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significant changes in diagnoses of all cancer types in 2020, with a 14.4% overall decline in the number of reported cancer cases in cancer centers accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) compared with the prior year. This decline represents more than 200,000 people with cancer cases that were not diagnosed and/or treated and the timeframe correlates with stay-at-home and triage guidelines. What happened to these 200,000 people with cancer cases remains unknown. It is possible they either died of Covid-related complications or never received care for their cancer.
  
  
• These missing cancer cases are expected to appear in 2021 data and beyond, potentially at more advanced stages.
  
  
• During the pandemic, patients younger than 60 and those older than 80 were less likely to be diagnosed or treated for cancer compared with past years.
  
  
• Incidence rates for colorectal, lung, and breast cancer decreased significantly in 2020 compared with the historical data from 2010-2019, as reported in a 2023 JACS study:
  • Colorectal cancer: observed incidence decreased by 18.6%
  • Lung cancer: observed incidence decreased by 18.1%
  • Breast cancer: observed incidence decreased by 14.6%
    
    
• These decreases are very likely reflective of missing cancer diagnoses.
  
  
• There is concern that many patients may currently harbor undiagnosed disease due to screening delays or may present at more advanced stages when seeking treatment.

New England-area cancer facts: 

• In the New England area, the trends in cancer diagnosis were less pronounced compared with those observed on a national scale, but there are still some concerning areas where researchers and surgeons may see some increases in late-stage diagnoses.
  
  
• Research shows that there was a slight (1%) increase in the proportion of patients who presented with Stage IV disease in New England throughout 2020, which mirrors trends seen on a national scale where there was a 0.8% increase in Stage IV disease.
  
  
• The New England area saw about a 7.4% decrease in cancer diagnoses from April-June 2020, which correlates with the time when stay-at-home guidelines were most prevalent.
  
  
• In New England, lung and colorectal cancers may have been most susceptible to screening delays in 2020:
  • Lung cancer: observed incidence decreased by 21.3% compared with historical data from 2010-2019
  • Colorectal cancer: observed incidence decreased by 16.6% compared with historical data from 2010-2019
  • Breast cancer: observed incidence decreased by 13.7% compared with historical data from 2010-2019
    
    
• Silver lining: Although in New England there was a significant decline in cancer diagnoses during the early months of the pandemic (7.4%), this decline was nearly 50% lower than the national decline (14.4%). This finding highlights the remarkable work of cancer care providers in New England who were able to continue providing quality care to their patients, despite being faced with one of the deadliest global pandemics in history.

References 

Lum SS, Browner AE, Palis B, et al. . JAMA Surg. Published online April 12, 2023. DOI:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.0652 

Romatoski K, Chung S, Kenzik K, et al. . Journal of American College of Surgeons. DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000772 

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About the American College of Surgeons  

°Õ³ó±ð  is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.