Delays in diagnosing skin cancer are linked to 100,000 years of life lost and billions of euros in indirect costs.
ADVERTISEMENTDelays in diagnosing and treating skin cancer due to COVID-19 restrictions may have led to 100,000 years of life lost and a cost of €7.1 billion in European countries, according to a new study highlighting the importance of early cancer detection.
The findings, published on Friday in the journal Jama Network Open, reveal some of the tough consequences of lockdowns and social distancing measures implemented in 2020 and 2021 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This included delays in diagnosing melanoma, a common type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, the research shows.
The study model was built based on more than 50,000 patients with melanoma from two cancer centres in Switzerland and Italy, with additional data from Hungary, the UK and Belgium. The economic evaluation also used population data from 31 European countries.
It estimated the years of life lost, a measure of premature mortality and the possible direct and indirect costs in European countries.
“When lockdowns were introduced as a much-needed measure to stop the spread of COVID-19, there were extensive unintended consequences. Many screenings were cancelled and medical treatments were delayed,” Dr Kaustubh Adhikari, a statistical geneticist at University College London and co-author of the study, said in a statement.
“As many people missed appointments to detect or treat skin cancer, their cancer progressed to a later stage, which resulted in more expensive care and a greater risk that the treatment would not be successful”.
€7.1 billion in costs due to delays
Melanoma is the fifth most diagnosed cancer in men and women in the EU and accounted for four per cent of all new diagnoses in EU countries in 2020.
In 2020, there were more than 100,000 new cases of melanoma in the EU and more than 16,000 deaths, according to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS).
“Our findings show that preventative healthcare always needs to be a top priority, both in normal times and in times of crisis; any plans for potential future pandemics need to consider unintended side effects on a wide range of health conditions and plan holistically,” said Dr Elisabeth Roider, co-lead author from the University Hospital of Basel.
Most of the cost of these delays, estimated to be roughly €7.1 billion in Europe by the researchers, were indirect and due to sick leave, productivity losses due to morbidity, and premature mortality.
The study authors said that several modelling limitations mean the results should be taken with caution.
These included the extrapolation of results from two cancer sites to the rest of Europe and differences in lockdown definitions and European healthcare systems.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
Previous studies have shown that postponed appointments and screening exams during the pandemic may have resulted in decreased new cancer diagnoses.
A study published in 2021 by researchers at the University of Oxford and Cancer Research UK found a 63 per cent reduction in two-week referrals for suspected colorectal cancer, for instance, and a 92 per cent reduction in the number of colonoscopies at the height of the pandemic in April 2020 compared to 2019.
“It’s alarming that for just one disease, there were many years of life lost, a lower quality of life for many thousands of people, and billions of pounds of economic impact – this may be just the tip of the iceberg of the consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment due to lockdowns,” added Adhikari in a statement.
“While the lockdowns did save many lives by mitigating the toll of COVID-19 itself, it is important that we learn from the experience to ensure that if another pandemic arises, we can effectively balance different healthcare priorities”.
