Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Regional Cancer Center of Stockholm Gotland, Stockholm, Sweden.
Prev Med. 2021 Oct;151:106642. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106642. Epub 2021 Jun 30.
Screening can decrease the burden of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. The COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to suspend cancer screening services as part of their response to the pandemic. The International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) carried out an online survey to assess the effects of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screening. A 33-item survey was distributed to 834 email addresses to gather information about settings and assess decision-making processes that led to cancer screening suspension. Information about communication, impact on resources, and patient follow-up was collected. Quantitative data was analyzed as frequencies overall and by setting, while a comment section under each survey item captured nuanced details. Responses were recategorized into 66 settings, representing 35 countries. Most settings suspended cancer screening services (n = 60, 90.9%) in March 2020 (n = 45, 68.2%), guided by a government decision (n = 51, 77.3%). Few settings made the decision whether to suspend services based on a preparedness plan (n = 17, 25.8%). In most settings, professionals were reassigned (n = 41, 62.1%) and infrastructure repurposed (n = 35, 53.0%). The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on cancer screening worldwide, including the suspension of services in almost all settings. Most settings were unprepared to deal with the scale of the pandemic but demonstrated flexibility in the response. These results contribute to inform, through experiences and lessons learned, the next steps for the global cancer screening community to further evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and prepare for future disruptions.
筛查可以减轻乳腺癌、宫颈癌和结直肠癌的负担。由于应对疫情的需要，许多国家暂停了癌症筛查服务。国际癌症筛查网络（ICSN）进行了一项在线调查，以评估 COVID-19 大流行第一波对癌症筛查的影响。一份 33 项内容的调查问卷分发给 834 个电子邮件地址，以收集有关环境的信息，并评估导致癌症筛查暂停的决策过程。还收集了有关沟通、资源影响和患者随访的信息。定量数据总体上和按环境进行了分析，而每个调查项目下的评论部分则捕捉到了细微的细节。根据 66 个环境（代表 35 个国家）对回复进行了重新分类。大多数环境（n=60，90.9%）于 2020 年 3 月（n=45，68.2%）暂停了癌症筛查服务，这是在政府决策的指导下进行的（n=51，77.3%）。少数环境（n=17，25.8%）根据准备计划做出是否暂停服务的决定。在大多数环境中，专业人员被重新分配（n=41，62.1%），基础设施被重新利用（n=35，53.0%）。COVID-19 大流行的第一波对全球癌症筛查产生了深远影响，包括几乎所有环境中服务的暂停。大多数环境都没有准备好应对疫情的规模，但在应对措施上表现出了灵活性。这些结果有助于通过经验和教训，为全球癌症筛查界提供信息，以便进一步评估 COVID-19 的影响，并为未来的干扰做好准备。
