The Ripple Effects Of A Huge Drop In Cancer Screenings

Short Wave

NPR

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4.7 • 6.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 July 2021

⏱️ 8 minutes

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Summary

At the height of the pandemic, routine cancer screenings declined by 90 percent. Screenings are resuming and doctors are diagnosing later-stage cancers — cancers that might have been caught earlier. NPR science correspondent Yuki Noguchi of talks about whom this affects most, and about the ripple effects that missing cancer screening may have for years to come.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:06.0	Hey there, Emily Kwong here.
0:08.0	So during the pandemic, a lot of routine checks for cancer have been delayed or put on hold.
0:15.8	And that may have long-term effects.
0:18.1	NPR's science correspondent Yuki Nguci spoke with morning editions Noel King about the intersection
0:24.1	of the coronavirus pandemic and cancer screening.
0:27.6	And we're featuring that conversation today.
0:30.6	You're listening to Shortwave, the Daily Science podcast from NPR.
0:43.6	Many of us should be testing regularly for various forms of cancer, colorectal, breast,
0:52.1	prostate, cervical.
0:54.2	That's what the CDC recommends.
0:56.4	But during the pandemic, these kinds of screenings plummeted and now doctors say they're diagnosing
1:01.4	later stage cancers that could have been caught earlier.
1:05.5	And they say many patients haven't yet resumed getting their checkups.
1:09.3	NPR's Yuki Nguci has been looking into this.
1:11.5	Hi Yuki.
1:12.5	Hi Noel.
1:13.5	So the stakes here are pretty high for people's health.
1:16.1	How much did the pandemic affect screening for cancer?
1:19.6	Yeah, so early on in April of last year, the CDC says cancer screenings decline nearly 90%.
1:26.3	Even today, things remain far off normal.
1:28.7	And screening can detect cancers early when treatment is easier and more effective.
	...

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