30 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • NOVEMBER 5, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Getting candid about lung cancer
diagnosis in the age of COVID-19
Th e COVID-19 pandemic has caused a
signifi cant disruption in cancer care and
treatment. As the leading cause of cancer
death in the US, the potential impact on
lung cancer is especially alarming.
Recent studies predict a signifi cant
increase in the number of cancer deaths
over the next fi ve years due to missed
screenings, delays in diagnosis and reductions
in oncology care caused by COVID-
19.
While part of this disruption is due to
the reduction and suspension of screening
programs and diagnostic services caused
by the reallocation of medical staff and
resources to fi ght the pandemic, there are
also other important factors at play.
Nationwide stay-at-home orders, job
and/or insurance loss and general fear of
exposure to the virus during a doctor visit
have resulted in people postponing care
for non-COVID-19 health concerns, or
foregoing it altogether.
As a result of these factors, although
individuals across the US are still getting
lung cancer, more people are going undiagnosed
until the cancer has reached an
advanced stage.
“What we are seeing in our practice is
that people are not coming in for anything
unless they absolutely have to,” said Joyce
Knestrick, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP. “Th ey
don’t want to go to any screenings. Th ey
don’t want to go to any hospital settings to
be exposed to COVID.”
Many medical conditions, including
lung cancer, will not “wait” for the pandemic
to end. Putting off diagnosis and
treatment may have signifi cant negative
eff ects on patient outcomes.
“In my experience, if they don’t know
they have a diagnosis they are not going
to seek it out unless they are really sick
anyway. Th at’s why I am really worried
about the burden on the system when
people come in at diff erent levels,” Joyce
continued.
Lung cancer: There’s
no pause button
Cancer does not discriminate, and its
consequences are not pausing even if the
world is.
Despite relatively stable lung cancer
diagnoses rates for 13 months prior to
the pandemic, states with a particularly
high prevalence of lung cancer where the
decline is most notable and severely aff ected
by COVID-19 — New York, California,
Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Michigan and Ohio — have since seen a
30-60 percent reduction in such diagnoses
as of May 2020.
Th is sharp decline does not mean
fewer people are developing lung cancer.
Instead, quite the opposite: more individuals
are going undiagnosed and delay
treatment until their cancers advance.
While some individuals with early lung
cancer can have symptoms, many do not
until the disease spreads. An added challenge
is some symptoms such as coughing,
shortness of breath and fatigue may
mimic those of COVID-19.
If lung cancer symptoms are noticed
sooner rather than later, or people at
known risk seek medical care, it might be
diagnosed and treated more eff ectively at
an earlier stage.
“I think this is a challenging time for all
of us, but we are all in this together,” said
Nanette Alexander, DNP, APRN, FAANP.
“We want to minimize what they need for
care, and early intervention does that.”
Reassuring patients: The
time can STILL be now
It is critical for people at risk for lung
cancer, or with potential symptoms, to
stay connected with their health care providers
and learn how to best seek care
given the situation. Even in the face of a
global pandemic, concerns should not be
put on hold.
Hospitals and clinics are doing all they
can to ensure the health and safety of
patients during the pandemic. Ultimately,
the risk of COVID-19 must be balanced
against the risk to the patient of lung cancer
progression, and in most cases, lung
cancer still represents a greater risk of
mortality for patients.
“When your providers say it is safe to go
back, go back,” Nanette concluded.
For more information on cancer and
COVID-19, visit covid19cancerresources.
com.
— Courtesy of BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
