PAHO insists on paying greater attention to cancer

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PAHO insists on paying greater attention to cancer

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3 February 2021

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Washington, Feb 3 (Prensa Latina) Attention to diseases such as cancer, which is now the second major cause of death in the Americas, has been seriously affected by Covid-19, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) warned on Wednesday.

'We have to fight the pandemic and, at once, continue making progress in the care of other diseases (...) For cancer patients, the lack of diagnosis, treatment and medicines can be fatal,' Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of this regional organization, noted.

According to information released by the PAHO, the epidemiological situation due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused potentially fatal interruptions in cancer services in 2020.

Specifically, four million new cases and around 1.4 million deaths were reported last year, the text indicates.

It adds that approximately 57 percent of the new cases and 47 percent of the deaths due to cancer involved people aged 69 years or younger.

A survey conducted by the PAHO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in seven countries in the region showed that the disruptions in cancer care during the pandemic were related to the cancellation of elective medical procedures and the interruption of services.

To those data, a downturn in demand is added due to confinement and the need to channel resources to deal with infections caused by the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, some patients already diagnosed are reluctant to go to outpatient clinics or hospitals for treatment for fear of catching the SARS-CoV-2.