Cancer care during and after the pandemic
BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2622 (Published 02 July 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m2622Read our latest coverage of the coronavirus pandemic
- Richard D Neal, professor of primary care oncology1,
- Larissa Nekhlyudov, professor of medicine2,
- Pete Wheatstone, patient3,
- Bogda Koczwara, professor of medical oncology4
- 1University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- 2Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
- 3Leeds, UK
- 4Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
- Correspondence to: R D Neal r.d.neal{at}leeds.ac.uk
The covid-19 pandemic has had a drastic effect on the entire cancer continuum through interruption, delays, and altered modes of screening, diagnosis, and treatment as well as follow-up and palliative care.12
Some countries responded swiftly to the pandemic by introducing strong public health measures.3 These countries experienced fewer infections and lower covid-19 mortality—in some cases (such as Vietnam) despite poor healthcare infrastructure, including cancer care. Even these countries had to reorganise their cancer services, but cancer care has been hardest hit in badly affected countries such as the US and the UK, with potentially greater effects on cancer outcomes.4 Now we must focus efforts on the rapid recovery of services, using lessons from this adversity to improve and redesign care across the entire cancer continuum.2
Restoring services
Firstly, screening, early detection, and diagnosis pathways must be reinstated and prioritised according to people’s risk of both covid-19 and cancer. Primary care is central to the diagnosis of cancer but has to evolve …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.