Pandemic led to 10% fewer cancers being caught than expected, says Stephen Donnelly

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Significant delays in the health service during Covid-19 led to 10% fewer cancers being caught than were expected, “alarming” new figures reveal.

New national figures on the impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnoses reveal it led to a 10% reduction in cancer diagnoses (based on all cancers) or 11% (based on microscopically verified cancers) in 2020, compared to what was expected that year, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has confirmed.

During the first wave of Covid, from March to May 2020 — a time of strict limits on travel and gatherings, when many people cocooned — there was a significant drop in the number of people presenting to doctors with concerns about cancer.

Overall, 2020 saw the lowest ever number of people diagnosed with cervical cancer, with the statistics going back to 2011.

Breast cancer diagnosis also reached the lowest they have been since 2014. Non-melanoma skin cancer diagnoses were down to their lowest in 2020, since 2016. And such a low figure for lung cancer diagnosis has not been seen since 2015. Only ovarian and brain cancer diagnoses saw an increase in the first year of the pandemic.

While Mr Donnelly said services did continue, a breakdown of different cancers released to the Irish Examiner shows that non-melanoma skin cancers detected fell from 12,172 in 2019 to 10,306 in 2020; breast cancer cases fell from 3,588 in 2019 to 2,959 in 2020; lung cancer cases fell from 2,766 to 2,539 and cervical cancers fell from 272 to 185.

'Alarming statistics'

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín was diagnosed with skin cancer during the pandemic. File picture: Collins

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said: "These are extremely alarming statistics. It's hardly surprising that cervical and breast cancer diagnosis reached record lows during the pandemic, given that screening was completely shut down for months in 2020.” 

It is evident now that the government have some very serious questions to answer, he said. 

I was diagnosed with skin cancer during the pandemic, and I experienced delays in diagnosis due to the pandemic — I, like many others was extremely cautious of going to the doctor due to the messaging coming from the Department of Health.”

The Government was repeatedly warned during the pandemic that the impact of Covid-19 would lead to thousands of missed cancer diagnoses and Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently warned that Ireland is to be hit by a “frightening” wave of delayed cancer diagnoses next year and, in some cases, it will be too late for medicine.

At a private Fianna Fáil meeting, Mr Martin said medical experts have warned him of “dramatically increasing cancers because of delayed diagnoses” linked to the impact of Covid-19 on the health service.

Responding to Mr Tóibín, Mr Donnelly said in 2020 and 2021, cancer services continued to be provided in Ireland during a challenging time for health services globally.

The National Action Plan on Covid-19 identified the continued delivery of cancer care as a priority. Cancer diagnostic and treatment services continued to operate, including breast, lung, and prostate rapid access clinics for cancer diagnosis, he said.