One in seven cancer patients missed operations during lockdown

A new NIHR study has found that one in seven cancer patients around the world have missed out on potentially life-saving operations during lockdown.

The University of Birmingham-led research found that planned cancer surgery was affected by lockdowns regardless of the local coronavirus rates at that time, with patients in lower income countries at highest risk of missing their surgery. The researchers compared cancellations and delays before cancer surgery during lockdowns to those during times with light restrictions only.

During full lockdowns, one in seven patients (15 per cent) did not receive their planned operation after a median of 5.3 months from diagnosis - all with a coronavirus related reason for non-operation. However, during light restriction periods, the non-operation rate was very low (0.6 per cent).

Patients awaiting surgery for more than six weeks during full lockdown were significantly less likely to have their planned cancer surgery.  Frail patients, those with advanced cancer, and those waiting surgery in lower-middle income countries were all less likely to have the cancer operation they urgently needed.

The research team believes that this data can help inform governments when making decisions about whether to prolong or reduce restrictions. Researchers are calling for major global reorganisation during the recovery from the pandemic to provide protected elective surgical pathways and critical care beds that will allow surgery to continue safely, as well as investment in ‘surge’ capacity for future public health emergencies.

James Glasbey, from the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research reveals the collateral impact of lockdowns on patients awaiting cancer surgery during the pandemic. Whilst lockdowns are critical to saving lives and reducing the spread of the virus, ensuring capacity for safe elective cancer surgery should be part of every country’s plan to ensure continued health across the whole population.

“In order to prevent further harm during future lockdowns, we must make the systems around elective surgery more resilient – protecting elective surgery beds and operating theatre space, and properly resourcing ‘surge’ capacity for periods of high demand on the hospital, whether that is COovid, the flu or other public health emergencies.”