August 19, 2026
How widespread are these delays? Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago surveyed 609 breast cancer survivors online. The questionnaire captured which care was postponed (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, or routine follow-ups) along with cancer stage. Their finding: close to half of the patients experienced a delay in care during the first weeks of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
As COVID-19 persists, oncologists must weigh postponing treatment against proceeding despite a greater risk of novel coronavirus infection.
Across the globe, the Covid-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems. The virus has caused some cancer screening and treatment to be postponed. In Seattle, screening mammograms were paused for months and many elective surgeries were pushed back. For patients with cancer, coming in for care meant weighing the risk of infection against the risk that a delay could worsen their disease outcomes.
In the past, I lacked solid data to guide what I told my patients. What extra long-term risk comes from putting off cancer treatment for months? Luckily, a team at the University of Michigan (USA) has built a free, web-based tool to address these questions.
