Prepare to be flooded by delayed colorectal cancer diagnoses, surgeons warn
Stage I cancer is being surpassed by stage II and III in COVID-19 aftermath, shows study
Australia is likely to see a significant rise in delayed colorectal cancer diagnoses as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, surgeons warn.
Colorectal cancers were diagnosed at later stages, and preventive measures — including screening, GP visits and endoscopies — fell markedly as the country coped with lockdowns, their registry study found.
As a proportion of all cancers diagnosed, stage I cancer went from 23% of the total to 19% by the end of last year.
This was associated with a spike in stage III cancers, from 29% of cases to 34%, although there