Pharmacy Times reported on the research that used a model to examine how COVID-19-related screening delays affected CRC mortality rates.
Researchers found that moderate delays in screening between seven and 12 months caused a 3 percent increase in mortality from advanced-stage CRC cases. A more than 12-month screening delay caused a 7 percent increase in mortality.
At five years, patients with stage 3 or 4 CRC had an 11.9 percent increase in morality when screening programs were suspended for more than 12 months.
Luigi Ricciardiello, MD, lead study author, said in a press release, “Healthcare authorities need to act urgently on how they reorganize activities during COVID-19, without compromising the diagnosis of other high-impact diseases like this research shows.”
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