A retrospective study from Spain, presented in a press briefing during the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), found that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with lung cancer.
The study found that 38% fewer new lung cancer cases were diagnosed during COVID-19 compared with pre-COVID-19, with more symptomatic and severe cases of NSCLC being diagnosed during the pandemic period.
“Lung cancer diagnoses have been affected during COVID-19 with as little as 38% of new cases in non–small cell lung cancer, more symptomatic and severe cases were diagnosed, but not in small cell lung cancer,” said Roxana Reyes, MD.
In Spain, when a state of emergency was put into effect due to the pandemic, it forced the prioritization of healthcare services toward…
