In the wake of delayed cancer screenings and care spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, oncologists are now urging people to get back on track with routine screenings through the national "Time to Screen" campaign.
"Time to Screen," launched April 8 by the Community Oncology Alliance and CancerCare, aims to make the scheduling process convenient by locating nearby locations and providing more information to those wondering whether screening is recommended for them. The effort includes an educational website with information about a number of cancers and a hotline number.
"COVID-19 has caused many people to delay recommended cancer screenings, which are now at dangerously low levels," said Kashyap Patel, MD, COA president and CEO of Rock Hill, S.C.-based Carolina Blood and Cancer Care. "It's safer to get screened now, rather than delaying getting checked for cancer, because early detection catches cancer when its most treatable."
While there's been some improvement in cancer screening rates compared to earlier stages of the pandemic, the average screening rate for several common cancers remains 25 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.