The upheavals of the last few years have included profound disruptions in healthcare, one manifestation of which had been delayed screenings for breast cancer. In fact, between 2019 and 2020 – pre-pandemic – the number of breast cancer screenings declined by 25%, and the downward trajectory continued into 2021, with a 4% decline annually. Unsurprisingly, the number of breast cancer diagnoses dropped by 14% between 2019 and 2020, and almost 9% from 2020 to 2021. Declines in screening, diagnosis and, most crucially, treatment, were also observed in other cancers, too, including colorectal, cervical, and lung, with as much as double-digit decreases since 2020.
