The research found a significant fall in the proportion of patients still alive one year after their cancer diagnosisThe Covid-19 pandemic had an adverse effect on how cancer patients were treated, according to research by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.
It found there were almost 1,000 fewer or "missing" cancer cases early in the pandemic between April and December in 2020, compared with the previous year.There was also a major impact on treatment with lower rates of surgery and radiotherapy and a significant reduction in the proportion of people still alive one year following their cancer diagnosis.The Northern Ireland Cancer Registry is an organisation funded by the Public Health Agency.
"Our work shows that, alongside about 1,000 'missing cases', there has been a shift to more advanced disease, with lower rates of surgery and radiotherapy and poorer survival one year post diagnosis," he said.Dr Bennett said that was due to a number of factors; the pause of screening programmes, restricted access to healthcare services and potentially fear and uncertainty in the population.