1 in 7 patients miss cancer surgery during COVID lockdowns
Delays were observed for those who have had surgery under lockdowns. Nearly 5,000 surgeons and anaesthetists from around the world, including CU Medicine, worked together as part of the COVIDSurg Collaborative to analyse data from 20,000 patients in 61 countries. The result showed that one in seven cancer patients around the world have missed out on their planned operations during COVID-19 lockdowns, which could lead to cancer progression or potentially more cancer deaths. The team believes that this data can help inform governments when making decisions about whether to prolong or reduce restrictions. (Lancet Oncol. 2021 Oct 5;22(11):1507-1517. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(21)00493-9. Online ahead of print.)
Anyone interested in future collaboration in this field of research is welcome to contact our investigators Prof. Simon NG & Dr FUTABA from the Department of Surgery, CUHK.