Reductions in cancer screening: The consequence of changes in routine care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

null

Ashley Kim

GRAIL, Inc., Menlo Park, CA

Ashley Kim , Matthew Gitlin , Ela Fadli , November McGarvey , Ze Cong , Karen Chung

Organizations

GRAIL, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, BluePath Solutions, Los Angeles, CA

Research Funding

Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company
GRAIL, Inc

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposes significant impact on daily activities with regard to public health orders and individual responses to the pandemic. Much of the direct or indirect impact is potentially in reductions in healthcare encounters for services such as preventive care. Here, we quantified changes in cancer screening rates to better understand the impact of the evolving COVID-19 implications and shifts in health-seeking behaviors. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of cancer screening rates during March-June 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and March-June 2020 (post-COVID-19 restrictions), using Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database which includes Medicare and commercially insured members. Members meeting age and/or sex criteria as detailed in the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, and cervical cancer screening represented the eligible membership for screening. Procedure and laboratory services were used to identify those who received cancer screening. Analyses were conducted cross-sectionally by cancer screening type. Results: Eligible cohorts were identified from insured members within March-June 2019 and 2020 (2019: 17,931,318; 2020: 17,521,411). The percent of eligible members screened in March-June 2019 was 19.3%, 9.4%, 16.7%, 0.4%, and 7.8% for breast, cervical, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer, respectively. Changes in screening rates from 2019 to 2020 are summarized in Table, with the sharpest decline in April. The percent change from 2019 to 2020 during the combined March-June period for each cancer screening type was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Conclusions: Routine cancer screening rates from March-June 2020 showed meaningful reductions when compared to the same period in 2019, with substantial declines during the initial peak of the pandemic in April. These declines may be impacted by variations in regional restrictions with tighter restrictions leading to larger screening declines and loosening restrictions reflecting catch-up screening. Efforts to promote cancer screening in a safe and timely manner are crucial given individual risk factors, to reduce later stage cancer diagnoses and improve clinical outcomes.

Percent change in eligible members screened for cancer (March-June 2019/2020).


Breast
Cervical
Prostate
Lung
Colorectal
Population Included
Females aged 50-74 years, no history of breast cancer
Females aged 21-65 years, no history of cervical cancer
Males aged 55-69 years, no history of prostate cancer
Males and Females aged 55-80 years, no history of lung cancer
Males and Females aged 50-75 years, no history of colorectal cancer
March-June
-42.8%
-42.8%
-28.7%
-31.5%
-42.3%
March
-34.5%
-35.3%
-24.8%
-14.6%
-29.2%
April
-85.0%
-78.9%
-61.8%
-84.7%
-73.4%
May
-50.7%
-49.8%
-32.6%
-40.6%
-52.9%
June
-4.0%
-2.2%
8.5%
19.0%
-18.3%

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2021 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Hereditary Cancer

Track

Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Genetics

Sub Track

Cancer Prevention

Citation

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 10550)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.10550

Abstract #

10550

Poster Bd #

Online Only

Abstract Disclosures

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