The fear of contracting COVID 19 has kept many people suffering from other ailments from visiting hospitals. Consequently, timely diagnosis and care management of chronic diseases like cancer has seen a massive decline.
Since March, when COVID 19 struck, cancer care and diagnosis has been a challenge for two reasons: existing cancer patients are extremely vulnerable to severe effects of COVID 19 and patients who are vulnerable to the disease have delayed consulting the medical practionier leading to delayed detection and diagnosis. All this has led to patients reaching hospital at the advanced stages of the disease.
Most patients reporting advanced stages of cancer are over 60 years of age, who mostly suffer from co-morbidities like diabetes, cardiac ailments and hypertension. Hence, they are the most apprehensive to step out of homes or seek doctors consultation.
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Dr. S M Shuaib Zaidi, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said “In India, 50-60 per cent of patients seek medical treatment in the advanced stages due to lack of awareness and timely screening. With the current pandemic, this percentage has gone up by at least 40% due to COVID fear. In the month of September- October, we have seen an upsurge in patients being diagnosed with stage 2 and stage 3 cancer, some of them with bleak chances of recovery. Due to delay in early detection, the cancer has progressed in the past 6 months from a treatable- stage 1 condition, to a complex life threatening stage 3.”
Sneha Singh, 33, resident of New Delhi, had undergone surgery for breast cancer at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi in February this year. Following the surgery, she was supposed to undergo radiation therapy to eliminate any possibilities of re-occurrence. But with lockdown and fear of being exposed to COVID 19, Sneha delayed her radiation sessions for nearly six months.
In August, when she finally visited the hospital, cancer in her breasts had spread to other parts of her body. From a treatable stage she had now advanced to a stage 3 cancer. Though, she is undergoing treatment now, but her chances of survival are now bleak.
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Dr. Ramesh Sarin, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said, “With COVID-19 currently taking the front seat, preventive healthcare has been neglected the most. Before COVID 19, we used to do preventive measures. Early detection of cancer was used to be done for breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancers. Now, this is not happening thanks to Covid-19. We have reduced the duration of radiation and chemotherapy from 6 to 3months, still many patients have either missed their treatment or, have been irregular, for fear of visiting the hospital and being exposed to COVID 19.”
